KARACHI (Dunya News) - The historic Gul Plaza of Karachi will be sealed today and authorities will initiate the demolition process as investigations continue into the devastating fire, officials said.
The clearance and rescue operation, now in its 10th day, is nearing completion before the building is formally sealed.
Officials confirmed that search and rescue teams have concluded their inspection of the plaza, while videos and other evidence gathered from the site have been forwarded to senior authorities for review.
According to sources, entry and exit doors of the building’s basement were found locked, and preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated in the basement area.
The blaze reportedly broke out at around 10:15pm on January 17.
Authorities said nearly 1,200 shops were affected by the fire, while parts of the structure collapsed due to severe damage caused by the inferno.
Death toll rises to 73 as nine-day Gul Plaza search operation ends
Following the incident, the process of sealing the building has already begun, with iron shuttering being installed around the premises.
A technical team has also reached the site to assess the structure’s condition ahead of demolition activities.
Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso said that the administration received reports of 81 missing persons after the tragedy.
He added that remains of 73 victims have been recovered so far, out of which 23 have been identified and handed over to their families, while the identification of remaining bodies is underway.
Meanwhile, families of the missing have expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of the recovery operation.
More than 50 families have provided DNA samples in hopes of identifying their loved ones.
#GulPlazaFire A total of 73 remains have been medicolegally processed ( including the first 6 identifiable dead bodies . 23 identified so far ( 16 by DNA). 55 DNA samples from family collected for 63 missing persons. #OfficeofthePoliceSurgeonKarachi #HealthDepartment #GoS
— Summaiya Syed Tariq (@DrSueTariq) January 26, 2026The Sindh government has announced financial assistance of Rs10 million for each family of the deceased, while compensation will also be provided to all 1,200 affected shopkeepers.
Speaking to media, Karachi Chief Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed Tariq said that 73 human remains have been processed so far, with 23 bodies identified, including 16 through DNA testing.
She noted that DNA extraction was difficult in several cases due to the condition of the remains.
Dr Summaiya further said that 23 cause-of-death certificates will be issued today.