Gul Plaza fire toll rises to 71 amid ongoing search operation

• Authorities list 82 people as missing officially.
• ‘Four DVRs recovered’ from debris during search.
• Gold, cash recovered, returned to owners: officials.

The death toll in the Gul Plaza inferno tragedy has mounted to 71 as officials said on Saturday that at least 80% of rescue and search operations have been completed, almost a week after the blaze broke out. 

The authorities also said that the work to move the rubble of the demolished parts is underway, adding that at least 20 bodies have been identified so far.

As many as 13 bodies were identified with the help of DNA, they added, saying the list of missing persons includes 82 names.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Tariq said that 71 bodies and human remains have been brought from the Gul Plaza site so far, and the DNA process is complicated as the bodies recovered from the site had been severely burned.

Officials said that efforts are underway to establish the identities of the remaining victims.

They added that four digital video recorders (DVRs) were recovered from the rubble during the search operation, which could provide important evidence to determine the causes of the inferno.

They added that valuables were recovered during debris removal, including 1.5 kilograms of gold and more than Rs100,000 in cash from a basement shop, which were returned to their respective owners.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while addressing the provincial assembly, said that a total of 88 people were initially reported missing; however, one later returned safely.

“Five of the names were duplicated, bringing the actual number of missing persons after the fire to 82. Of these, 67 bodies have been recovered. As I speak, 15 persons are still missing,” he added.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Governor Tessori stated that he would write letters to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court (SHC) to conduct an inquiry into the fire incident.

“Those responsible should be identified and punished without delay,” he added.

His remarks came amid the ongoing rescue efforts, as teams continue to search for more missing persons from the devastating inferno that broke out last Saturday night.

Investigative sources said the fire broke out at a shop selling artificial flowers, where children present were reportedly playing at the time of the incident; however, the final cause has not been declared.

Criticising the Sindh government, the governor said that the administration cannot be absolved of responsibility for the Gul Plaza tragedy.

He also questioned the handling of the incident and its aftermath, saying that those who were responsible were not present at the site when they were needed.

Governor Tessori said that water tankers remained stuck in traffic near Guru Mandir, as highlighted by journalist Arshad Vohra.

“The administration is responsible. People pay taxes and are then expected to tolerate mismanagement. Such incidents will keep happening until all those responsible are punished,” the governor said.