• Rescuers say blaze erupted in basement 70pc controlled
• Police pick up three ‘drug addicts’ for starting fire
• DIG suspends eight policemen over negligence

KARACHI: In what appears to be a consequence of negligence on the part of police and civic authorities, a huge fire broke out in the basement of the gutted structure of Gul Plaza on Sunday, taking over half a dozen fire tenders hours to “control” the flames.

Firefighting efforts continued even after midnight, with a Rescue 1122 team entering the building to create holes around the basement to vent the smoke.

Police authorities while suspending eight policemen blamed addicts for starting the fire in the basement of the building.

On Jan 17, a huge fire broke out in the ground-plus-three-storey Gul Plaza and the firefighting took days to complete. As many as 73 people were killed in the blaze. Later, the building was sealed and a contingent of police was deployed there to stop anyone entering the place.

However, on Sunday, a little before 5pm, people saw thick smoke emanating from the building structure and they informed the police and fire brigade about this.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that they received information about fire in the basement of Gul Plaza at around 4:53pm.

Soon after, one track of the main M.A. Jinnah Road was closed for vehicular traffic due to rescue work.

Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that they received information about the fire at around 5:00pm. He said six fire tenders were sent to the scene and they managed to control 70 per cent of the blaze after many hours of hectic efforts, but thick smoke and heat were still trapped there.

Since there was no ventilation inside the basement, the firemen faced immense difficulty in controlling the fire as the smoke and heat were as intense as in the Jan 17 blaze, he said.

He said heavy machinery has been called to extinguish it while a ‘special response team’ set up after the previous fire incident and armed with latest equipment was also deputed.

He said they were initially informed that the fire had erupted ‘spontaneously’ in bushes inside the basement. He noted that there was no vegetation in the basement, but the fire had been fuelled by the remains of merchandise.

The spokesperson said that a team entered the building to review the possibility of creating ventilation holes around the basement.

He said that it was yet to be ascertained as to what caused the fire.

Three ‘addicts’ held

About fire, DIG Raza said three drug addicts have been taken into custody as initial findings suggested that the fire was initiated by them.

He said eight policemen deployed for security duties at Gul Plaza have also been suspended on charges of negligence for failing to stop addicts from entering the sealed building.

Denying incidents of theft of steel, copper and other valuable goods from inside Gul Plaza, the DIG said that drug addicts thronged the place to hide and consume narcotics there.

He said the authorities had sealed the remains of Gul Plaza and covered it with green safety nets. However, during recent rains, the damaged parts got further exposed as the covering got dislodged. This left the building open from some sides and inadequately secured, he added.

In view of the situation, the DIG said, the police had recently written a letter to the authorities concerned stating that there was a risk that drug addicts, or unscrupulous elements, might enter Gul Plaza, which could create a ‘security problem’ and put anyone who illegally entered the premises at risk.

The authorities were urged to “repair and secure the place as soon as possible to avoid any issue”, the DIG said, adding that they had asked the district administration for “enhanced security and re-sealing” of Gul Plaza after the rains.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2026