Basement blaze erupts two months after deadly inferno; police say suspects burned wires to extract metal
KARACHI:
Authorities suspect the renewed fire incident at Gul Plaza was caused by drug addicts attempting to steal copper from the building’s basement.
On Sunday, a fire erupted once again in the basement of Gul Plaza, nearly two months after a deadly blaze at the same site killed more than 70 people.
The Acting Deputy Commissioner South, Amir Fazal Owaisi, yesterday also said that the blaze was likely caused by drug-addicted individuals and that further investigations were underway.
Owaisi said that when police and fire teams reached the site, they found several such individuals inside the building, who had reportedly entered to steal wires and other materials.
One person was recovered unconscious from the basement. According to Nabi Bakhsh Police, the injured individual, a drug addict, had entered Gul Plaza with accomplices intending theft.
Read: Fire breaks out yet again at Gul Plaza, two months after deadly blaze
Police believe the fire broke out when the suspects burned wires found in the debris to extract copper. The injured man became trapped in the fire, while his accomplices managed to escape.
The Gul Plaza Management Committee President, Tanveer Pasta, had speculated on Sunday that the blaze may have started due to the burning of copper by the drug-addicted individuals.
The victim was found bleeding from the ears and nose and has been shifted to Civil Hospital for medical treatment.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident and the role of the suspects in triggering the fire.
In mid-January, a devastating fire broke out at Gul Plaza, Karachi, claiming 79 lives and leaving dozens missing. According to the Sindh government’s investigation report, the inferno was triggered by a matchstick at a shop selling artificial flowers.
The report also highlighted severe lapses by the mall administration and rescue services, showing that the tragedy resulted not from a single mistake, but from years of neglect, regulatory failures, and unsafe compromises.
