Fire at Karachi's Gul Plaza Mall Kills 3, Injures 12+

A massive fire tore through the Gul Plaza shopping mall on M.A. Jinnah Road in Karachi, Pakistan's largest southern city, late Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring more than a dozen others, according to police and rescue officials. The blaze erupted around 10 p.m. local time, catching most shop owners as they closed their stores or had already left for the evening.

Firefighters and rescue teams responded immediately, deploying around 20 fire tenders equipped with ladders, water cannons and hoses to battle the flames. Dramatic footage captured thick black smoke billowing from the multistory building, with flames shooting out of windows and balconies. By Sunday morning, operations had contained only about 30 percent of the fire, which had raged for more than 12 hours. Rescue workers reported several people trapped on upper floors, and worried family members gathered nearby as efforts continued.

Initial investigations point to a short circuit in one of the ground-floor shops as the likely cause, according to police officer Mohsin Raza. The fire spread rapidly through the mall's 1,200 shops, which housed combustible items such as imported garments, clothing,...