Karachi Gul Plaza fire kills 23; 60 feared missing (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Let's update you straight away on what is happening in Pakistan at the moment. A search operation still underway in Karachi after a fire at a popular shopping mall left at least 21 people dead. Earlier we saw families of some of the people that authorities believe are missing. Their relatives were all there, desperately looking for any kind of information, praying for some kind of miracle as well. This is a fire that was massive, it took 24 hours to extinguish. Let's take you to Carrie Davies, our correspondent in Pakistan. Very good to see you, Carrie, on a tragic day for so many and for the country. What are you hearing from Karachi and from the scene of the fire?

[00:00:41] Speaker 2: Lucy, that death toll continues to rise. We have now heard from the rescue officials that 23 people have lost their lives since this fire began at around 10.30 in the evening on Saturday night. We also know that the number of those missing, according to the police, is around 60. So many people still waiting to have some news of their relatives. We were told by the police as well that they were able to identify that about 26 of those missing individuals. Their phones seem to be last located inside the Gul Plaza, the shopping centre in Karachi. So still many waiting for more information. And part of the reason that that is so difficult is, as you say, this fire burned so furiously and for so long, that it has been very difficult for those rescuers to be able to get inside, to be able to start getting the bodies out. We've even heard earlier from the chief minister of Sindh in the area saying that even 10 per cent of the fire is still continuing to burn inside this shopping centre. A large amount of that shopping centre also collapsed. And there are real concerns about the safety of being able to go inside to be able to get those bodies out, to be able to start the process of identification as well, because there is a concern that rescuers could become trapped if the rubble was to collapse further.

[00:01:59] Speaker 1: It's interesting that you say that, Carrie, because we're hearing different reports about whether the fire is totally out or not. But it was such a vast complex, it was of 1,200 shops, that if 10 per cent of it is still blazing or is still trying to get under control, that does present a real challenge to the authorities. But are people criticising the swiftness of the response from the fire service and from rescuers?

[00:02:23] Speaker 2: Well, Lucy, as you say, the fact that this fire apparently keeps on coming back, keeps on resurging, because the rescuers and the firefighters say that there are these materials that are in the building, blankets, perfume, cosmetics, plastics, foam, that also keep on reigniting and making it incredibly difficult. But yes, as you say, there is already a lot of questions about exactly what happened here. Did the firefighters arrive with ease? Were they able to get there on time? Were they able to get into the building to be able to start extinguishing the fire fast enough? Questions as well about the building itself. Were there enough fire precautions put in place? As you say, this is a very densely packed building. There were around over 1,000 of these stores inside the shopping centre as well. And the question being as well, if people were able to exit, were able to get out of the building, particularly as it was on multiple floors, including on a basement as well. So still a lot of questions from those who are concerned that they have lost their loved ones in that fire. Many families still waiting outside for any form of news, hoping that they will get some form of good news. But as the time goes on and as this fire continues, more and more people are deeply concerned about what has happened in Karachi.

[00:03:35] Speaker 1: Of course. Carrie, very good to have that update from you. Thank you so much for joining us live in Pakistan at the moment. And Carrie just saying there, the numbers continue to go up. We just were running a strap there saying 21, but Carrie now saying 23 people have been confirmed dead. And the real fear with so many people missing is that number will continue to rise.