STORY: At least three people were killed and more than 20 injured when a fire tore through a multi-storey shopping mall in central Karachi on Saturday night (January 17), rescue officials said.

The blaze began on the ground floor of Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road late on Saturday night and rapidly spread upwards, engulfing much of the building, according to emergency services.

A spokesperson for Rescue 1122, Hassaanul Haseeb Khan, said crews were dispatched shortly after 10:30 p.m. (1730 GMT) and found the fire had already consumed multiple floors. He told Reuters that more than 20 fire trucks and support vehicles from municipal, provincial and navy firefighting units had been deployed to battle the flames, which burnt into the early hours of Sunday (January 18).

Rescue workers evacuated trapped individuals throughout the night. Mohammad Amin, overseeing the response for the Edhi Foundation, said the dead and injured were taken to the city's Civil Hospital.

He said initial rescues brought seven people with burns to the hospital, with many more following in a semi-conscious or injured state. The three fatalities were confirmed at the hospital, Amin said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (JANUARY 18, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. VARIOUS OF FLAMES ERUPTING FROM BURNING GUL PLAZA BUILDING

2. FIRE BRIGADE SNORKELS WORKING TO EXTINGUISH FLAMES

3. WATER SPRAYING ON FIRE BURNING IN BUILDING

4. FIRE BRIGADE VEHICLES ARRIVING AT SCENE

5. FIRE BRIGADE TEAMS SPRAYING WATER ON FIRE

6. FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF BURNING BUILDING.

7. CROWD OF PEOPLE LOOKING ON OUTSIDE BURNING BUILDING

8. CROWD OF PEOPLE AND FIRE BRIGADE TEAMS LOOKING ON / FIRE BURNING

9. CROWD AND FIRE BRIGADE TEAMS GATHERING OUTSIDE BURNING BUILDING

10. FIREFIGHTERS WORKING TO PUT OUT FIRE / WATER SPRAYING ON FIRE

11. GOODS FROM SHOPS SALVAGED FROM FIRE BEING PILED UP OUTSIDE BUILDING

12. SHOPKEEPERS LOOKING ON

13. VARIOUS OF FIRE BRIGADE VEHICLES ARRIVING AT SCENE

14. SHOPKEEPERS STANDING WITH THEIR BELONGINGS THAT WERE SALVAGED FROM FIRE

15. FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING WATER ON FIRE

16. PEOPLE MAKING WAY FOR FIRE TRUCK TO GO THROUGH

17. CROWD GATHERING OUTSIDE BURNING BUILDING

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) SPOKESPERSON FOR RESCUE 1122, HASSAANUL HASEEB KHAN, SAYING:

“We received information at around 10:38 p.m. (1738 GMT on Saturday, January 17) at Rescue 1122's command and control that there was a fire at the shops on the ground floor of Gul Plaza. When we arrived, the fire from the ground floor had spread to the upper floors, and almost the entire building was already engulfed in flames. Rescue 1122, along with KMC and Pakistan Navy, now has over 20 fire brigade trucks, snorkels, and water bowsers at the scene participating in the rescue operation.”

19. BURNT INTERIOR OF SHOP

20. FIREFIGHTER SPRAYING WATER

21. FIRE ENGULFING SHOP

22. FIRE BRIGADE TRUCKS AT SCENE, WATER SPRAYING TOWARDS FIRE

23. CROWD LOOKING ON

24. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AMBULANCES AT SCENE

25. PLUMES OF BLACK SMOKE BILLOWING FROM BURNING BUILDING

26. (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) PERSON IN CHARGE OF KARACHI CONTROL ROOM OF EDHI FOUNDATION, MOHAMMAD AMIN, SAYING:

“When our rescue team arrived, it was clear that there was a fire here and the fire had spread considerably. Initially, seven people were rescued and taken to the burns ward at Civil Hospital. Afterwards, people continued to be rescued, some injured and some in semi-conscious state, and they were taken to Civil Hospital via Edhi ambulances. Three individuals could not survive and died. The three bodies are currently at Civil Hospital. One of them is being taken home, while two bodies are still in Edhi ambulances at the hospital. Over twenty injured individuals have been brought to Civil Hospital “

27. PEOPLE GATHERING OUTSIDE CIVIL HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY BURNS WARD

28. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF VICTIMS OF FIRE LYING AT CIVIL HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY BURNS WARD