Gul Plaza tragedy: Death toll rises to 79, probe continues

KARACHI: The death toll in the Gul Plaza tragedy has risen to 79, as rescue and recovery operations enter their ninth consecutive day, Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso said on Saturday.

According to the DC South, 23 bodies have so far been identified, while efforts are underway to identify the remaining victims through DNA profiling. He said the search operation at the site is nearly complete, with the ground floor and mezzanine first floor already cleared.

One portion of the building remains to be searched, after which the operation will be concluded, he added. The Gul Plaza building will be sealed tomorrow.

Javed Nabi Khoso said relatives of 13 victims listed as missing have not yet contacted the authorities. So far, families of 55 victims have submitted DNA samples to assist in the identification process. He added that the investigation into the incident is ongoing, while complete details of the inquiry report are not yet available.

Meanwhile, Urban Search and Rescue teams have recovered additional human remains from the third floor of the damaged building. Rescue officials said the remains have been shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi for DNA profiling.

Authorities said heavy machinery and manual search techniques are being used simultaneously, adding that rescue efforts remain challenging due to the unstable structure of the building. Despite fears that more bodies may still be trapped under the debris, officials said the operation is approaching its final phase.

Victim identification progress

Officials said progress is being made in identifying victims through DNA testing. The body of Abdul Haseeb was recently identified with the help of the Sindh Forensic DNA Lab, which has issued reports for 16 individuals so far. In total, 25 victims have now been identified.

Political war of words

The tragedy has also sparked a sharp political exchange between Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar.

Addressing the media, Sharjeel Inam Memon blamed decades of illegal construction and administrative failures in Karachi, alleging that such practices flourished during MQM’s tenure. He said the Gul Plaza incident was not the result of a single day’s negligence but the outcome of long-standing policy failures.

Responding to the allegations, Farooq Sattar rejected the claims and accused the Sindh government of shifting blame instead of addressing governance failures. He questioned the delayed arrival of senior provincial and city officials at the site and raised concerns over the lack of fire safety arrangements in hundreds of buildings across Karachi.

Sattar also called for an independent judicial commission to investigate the tragedy, proposing the inclusion of NAB, FIA, PDMA, and the Pakistan Engineering Council in the probe.

Calls for judicial inquiry

As Karachi continues to mourn the loss, Farooq Sattar urged the Sindh Chief Minister to personally engage with the victims’ families and affected traders. Calling the incident a “national tragedy,” he said losses run into billions of rupees, and more than 100 precious lives may have been affected.

He rejected any inquiry led by the Karachi Commissioner and called for a judicial commission headed by Supreme Court judges to conduct an independent and transparent investigation.

As rescue operations, victim identification, and investigations continue, the Gul Plaza tragedy has once again raised serious questions about urban safety, regulatory enforcement, and accountability in Pakistan’s largest city.