Three Lyari teenage boys—Hamza, 13, Hassam, 15, and Abdus Samad, 16—remain missing following the deadly Gul Plaza fire in Karachi. All three worked at shops inside the plaza and have not been traced since the blaze.
Abdus Samad’s father, Muhammad Abdul Rehman, collapsed at the scene after learning about his son’s disappearance. Families from Lyari staged protests, holding photos of the missing children and demanding urgent action from authorities.
Karachi continues to mourn the devastating fire at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road, which broke out on January 17 around 10:00 PM. The blaze, which lasted 34 hours, has claimed 26 lives, while 75 people remain unaccounted for, including the Lyari teenage boys.
Rescue teams have recovered seven more bodies from the site. Officials said some remains were unidentifiable and have been shifted to the Edhi mortuary. Cooling operations at the plaza are expected to continue for the next 24 to 36 hours, according to the Chief Operating Officer of Rescue Services.
Authorities, backed by the Army, Rangers, and civil administration, are conducting cautious search operations to locate the missing, including the Lyari teenage boys. Engineers are assessing the structural stability of the damaged building amid fears of further collapse.
The tragedy has left Karachi in shock, as families anxiously await news of their loved ones. Protesters emphasized the need for improved safety measures and quicker emergency response in commercial areas.
The ongoing rescue operations highlight both the severity of the fire and the challenges faced by authorities in securing the unstable structure. Efforts continue to locate missing individuals while providing support to affected families, especially those from Lyari who have lost children in the incident.
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