The death toll from a Karachi mall fire has reached 67, with DNA analysis ongoing to identify victims as families await news of missing relatives.
KARACHI: The death toll from a devastating mall fire in Pakistan’s largest city has risen to at least 67 people, a local government spokesperson said on Friday.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the blaze, which gutted the three-storey Gul Plaza six days ago on January 17.
“Post-mortem examinations of 67 bodies have been completed,” said the unnamed spokesperson, adding that DNA analysis was ongoing.
“The identities of eight individuals have been confirmed through DNA analysis,” the spokesperson added.
Families have criticised the slow pace of the recovery operation, with more than 50 people providing DNA samples in hopes of finding missing relatives.
The provincial government has announced compensation of 10 million rupees (approximately $35,720) for each family of the deceased.
All 1,200 shopkeepers affected by the fire will also receive compensation.
Fires are common in Karachi’s markets and factories, which are known for poor infrastructure, but a blaze of this scale is rare.
The provincial government is taking measures to ensure fire safety procedures are followed at malls and markets, the spokesperson said without providing further details.
