A massive fire engulfed a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan, late Saturday night, killing at least six people and injuring 22 others, PEOPLE reports. Authorities believe a short circuit sparked the deadly blaze at Gul Plaza mall that destroyed more than 1,200 shops.
Emergency responders received the initial call about 10:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to Reuters and Pakistani newspaper Dawn. The fire ignited on the ground floor and rapidly spread throughout the structure, according to a Sindh government report.
“When we arrived, the fire from the ground floor had spread to the upper floors, and almost the entire building was already engulfed in flames,” Pakistan Emergency Services Department spokesperson Hassanul Haseeb told Reuters.
Sindh Inspector General Javed Alam Odho told reporters the cause appeared to be a short circuit in one of the shops. Flammable merchandise inside the mall complicated firefighting efforts.
“The layout and construction of this market was such, and secondly, the nature of the items in it — such as carpets, blankets and other objects [were] made of resins — so the fire is still simmering because of these,” Odho said, according to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
The government confirmed six deaths but has not released the victims’ identities. The 22 injured, including firefighters, were taken to Civil Hospital Karachi, reports said. Local reports indicate 16 people remain unaccounted for, among them six members of one family that includes a 14-year-old girl.
Rescue 1222 deployed 22 fire brigades and 33 ambulances to the scene. Officials said the fire was about 70% contained by Sunday morning, but rescue operations continue with caution due to concerns about structural collapse.
“The building appears very old, and there is a danger that its structure may fall anytime because of the impact of the fire,” Haseeb said.
Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah has launched an investigation into the incident.
