Pakistan: Gul Plaza fire tragedy exposes shortage of fire stations in Karachi

Karachi [Pakistan] January 21 (ANI): The devastating fire at Gul Plaza, which killed 28 people, has brought into sharp focus the chronic lack of fire safety infrastructure in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city with an estimated population of nearly 25 million, ARY News reported.
Officials have admitted that the metropolis is operating far below internationally accepted fire safety standards.
Fire Chief Officer Muhammad Humayun Khan said standard operating procedures require one fire station for every 0.1 million people. By that benchmark, Karachi should ideally have around 2,500 fire stations.
However, speaking to ARY News, he revealed that the city currently has only 28 fire stations, supported by 45 fire tenders and just six snorkels--resources he described as grossly inadequate for a city of Karachi's size and density.
Highlighting global comparisons, ARY News noted that Dhaka has 112 fire stations, New Delhi has 61, while Tehran--despite having a smaller population--operates as many as 452 fire stations. The contrast has intensified concerns about Karachi's preparedness to handle large-scale emergencies.
The issue gained renewed attention following the deadly blaze at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on M.A. Jinnah Road. The fire, which broke out late on Saturday night, January 17, 2026, was brought under control only after nearly 36 hours of firefighting operations. The inferno claimed at least 28 lives, including one firefighter, while 81 people are still reported missing. Two sections of the building collapsed during the incident. Gul Plaza reportedly housed around 1,200 shops.
Authorities are now closely monitoring the remaining structure of the damaged building, with no final decision yet on demolition or reconstruction.
According to ARY News, officials from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) said the basement is currently filled with hot water, making it impossible to immediately inspect the interior columns.
SBCA officials stressed that any decision on declaring the building unsafe or opting for reconstruction would only be taken after a detailed assessment by the technical committee, fire brigade, and rescue teams. They added that it is too early to reach conclusions about the fate of the structure.
Meanwhile, the recent collapse of Gul Plaza's exterior wall caused the building to tilt towards the adjacent Rampa Plaza, damaging two of its internal columns. SBCA Director Rehan said jacks would be installed between Rampa Plaza and the front portion of Gul Plaza to stabilise the structure.
Once stabilisation work is completed, Karachi Municipal Corporation teams will be permitted to enter the site to resume search operations. However, due to extreme heat conditions inside the building, immediate access remains unsafe, and water is being sprayed to reduce temperatures, ARY News reported.
Officials said that depending on the technical assessment and operational clearance, the damaged sections of Gul Plaza could be demolished within the next two to three days.(ANI)