Three dead as fire engulfs shopping centre in Pakistan

A fire swept through a multi-storey shopping centre in the southern Pakistan city of Karachi on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring about a dozen others, police and rescue officials said.

Firefighters and rescue workers went to the Gul Plaza shortly after 10pm. According to the local media, most shop owners were closing their stores or had already left when the fire broke out and spread quickly.

The cause of the fire was not known. However, most structures in Karachi, and other parts of the country, lack fire prevention and firefighting systems.

TV footage showed firefighters in protective gear battling the flames.

Thick black smoke billowed into the night sky and was visible from several streets away, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

Authorities said the fire spread rapidly after erupting in an area of the centre where shopkeepers had stored imported garments, clothing and plastic household goods, which helped fuel the flames.

Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common.

In November 2023, a fire tore through a shopping centre in the city, killing 10 people and injuring 22 others.