Dozens missing after massive Karachi mall fire, 15 killed


Smoke rises as firefighters spray water to extinguish a massive fire that broke out in the Gul Plaza Shopping Centre building, in Karachi, Pakistan, January 18, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

KARACHI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani firefighters ‌began searching the smouldering remains of a sprawling Karachi shopping mall on Monday for more than 60 people still missing after a massive fire that killed ‌at least 15 people.

The fire started late on Saturday at Gul Plaza, which houses 1,200 shops in a multi-storey complex spread across an area ‌larger than a football field. The blaze in Karachi's historic centre raged for more than 24 hours before it was mostly extinguished, although officials said small flames were still breaking out among the ruins.

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