Karachi, Jan 22 (PTI) Pakistani authorities have collected DNA samples from 50 people to help confirm the identities of the bodies recovered from the rubble of the perished shopping plaza in Karachi, even as the death toll climbed to 67 on Thursday after more charred bodies were found.
The fire broke out in the basement of the Gul Shopping Plaza, a wholesale and retail market, and quickly spread to the rest of the building in the Saddar area on Saturday night. The fire was brought under control only after 36 hours had passed.
On Thursday, District South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso said that the death toll from the devastating fire climbed to 67 after more charred bodies were found in the fire-gutted plaza.
A search and recovery operation is underway at the shopping mall, he was quoted as saying by Geo News.
On Wednesday, 30 bodies were recovered from a single shop on the mezzanine floor of the building.
The rescue operation entered its sixth day on Thursday, with rescuers continuing to search for people still missing following the fire.
Sindh police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that at least 15 bodies recovered from the Gul Plaza have been identified, Geo News reported.
She said that the DNA samples have been collected from some 50 people who are claiming their loved ones or relatives are still missing in the fire.
She said that most of the bodies are burnt beyond recognition. "In some cases, we have just recovered body parts,” she said.
“We have to match the DNAs to confirm identities and hand over bodies to their loved ones or relatives for burial rites, and also match with the list of missing persons,” she added.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi told the media that a judicial inquiry had started into the fire as he visited the site on Wednesday.
“It is going to be a long process before rescue operations are completed,” he stated.
Naqvi said that initial investigations showed that the fire might have started in a toy and children’s clothes shop in the basement and spread rapidly, causing short circuits due to the open wiring in the building.
There were around 1200 shops in the building, spread over 8,000 square yards.
Naqvi said rescue teams were continuing their search operations with the help of thermal imaging cameras and special tools and cutters.
According to the Chief Fire Officer at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, it could take another 10-15 days to complete the rescue operations to locate the missing persons.