Karachi Mall Fire: 23 Dead, Dozens Missing

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in karachi rose to 23 on Monday as rescuers recovered more bodies from the badly damaged building, police said. Dozens remain missing.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory plaza late Sunday, nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the building. Authorities fear the death toll will rise as they look for 46 more people, according to city police chief Asad Raza.

Raza told The Associated Press on Monday that only six bodies have been identified so far. The rest will need DNA testing as the “bodies were beyond recognition,” police surgeon, Dr. Summaiya Syed, said. She said that doctors were collecting DNA samples from the relatives of the missing individuals.

Local media reports indicate at least 26 people died in the blaze.

Earlier, Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told a news conference in Karachi that rescue teams were searching for survivors and the dead. he said those killed in the fire included a firefighter and that the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each person killed.

As night fell,rescuers continued to struggle to reach parts of the severely damaged building where some people were believed to be trapped after losing contact with their families the previous day. City Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the rescue operation would continue until all missing persons had been accounted for.

The fire spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, perfumes, and other flammable materials.