• Gutted building to be demolished soon
• Forensic experts from Punjab visit site, collect evidence
• Police team formed to arrest those involved in blaze that killed 73

KARACHI: As authorities wrapped up the search and rescue operation at the Gul Plaza Shopping Mall after 10 days, a team of forensic experts from Lahore joined on Monday the probe into the Jan 17 devastating fire that claimed lives of 73 people and destroyed around 1,200 shops in the multi-storey building.

Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the search and rescue operation was completed on Monday and the building was handed over to district administration.

He said that experts would likely assess the structure and subsequently, a demolition operation would be carried out on Tuesday (today).

He said they had marked the gutted building with three different colours — green colour showing that nothing was recovered from the spot, red colour showing recovery of bodies and yellow colour indicating recovery of goods/valuables.

Mr Khan explained that a ‘final’ search was conducted at the insistence of shopkeepers / management of the plaza as there were many shops in the basement which were intact or partially damaged.

73 deaths so far

Families of as many as 81 people reported them missing after the blaze. The rescuers found either bodies or the remains of as many as 73 persons, but eight are still unaccounted for.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said: “Reference DNA samples have been collected from 55 family members for 63 missing persons.

“We have received one DNA profile which did not match with any family reference samples of the missing persons. Hence, we have requested once again to anyone who may not have submitted or does not know where to submit the reference DNA samples for identification of human remains,” she added.

Investigation team formed

South DIG Syed Asad Raza said that Punjab Forensic Science Agency experts visited the scene and collected samples.

Earlier in the day, he formed a five-member team for the “arrest of involved accused person(s) and impartial investigation” into the case.

“The investigation team shall make all-out and diligent efforts to arrest the accused person(s) by utilising all available resources,” read a notification.

The DIG said that the plaza management, shopkeepers and watchmen were avoiding responsibility but “by default they are responsible”.

He said that it was now “an open secret that the 11-year-old son of the owner of a flower shop was responsible for the blaze”.

He said investigators recorded video statements of the owner, his son and another witness who saw the boy who lit the match that led to fire.

About closed gates, he said building watchmen said in their statements that they used to close the gates at 10pm on a daily basis.

The five-member team has been formed to make “all-out efforts” to arrest suspects in the Gul Plaza fire and to conduct an impartial probe into the incident.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2026