Fire engulfs shopping mall in Pakistan, atleast six dead

Karachi, Pakistan: Atleast six people have been killed in a massive fire that engulfed the Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi on Saturday night. Hours...

Karachi, Pakistan: Atleast six people have been killed in a massive fire that engulfed the Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi on Saturday night. Hours after it erupted, the blaze had yet to be fully brought under control, according to updates shared by Pakistani newspaper Dawn. Firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a shopping mall in Karachi on January 18, 2026. (Photo by Rizwan Tabassum / AFP)

Media reports said that the initial death toll of three later rose to six, with around 20 people injured in the incident. Officials stated that the fire had been brought under control by about 30 percent and noted that the mall houses around 1,200 shops. 

Spokesperson of the southern Sindh province, Sadia Javed, told Xinhua that the blaze erupted at Gul Plaza, a multi-storey shopping mall located on the MA Jinnah Road, which houses over 1,200 shops.

The spokesperson added that the firefighting teams have been working consistently to control the 3rd-degree fire, which spread to several floors of the plaza.

Firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a shopping mall in Karachi on January 18, 2026. (Photo by Rizwan Tabassum / AFP)