Karachi: At least 11 people were killed and dozens feared trapped after a massive fire engulfed a multi-storeyed shopping mall here on Saturday.
Geo News reported that the blaze erupted at RJ shopping mall, located on Rashid Minhas Road. The fire brigade got into the act and rescued around 50 people, but at least 35 more were trapped inside the building.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed the deaths on social media platform X.
All-out efforts are being made to rescue the trapped people.
A number of rescued people with injuries and facing trauma were taken to hospitals for treatment and care.
Images and videos of the fire and rescue operations were posted on social media.
Watch a clip shared by a user on X:
A devastating fire engulfed a shopping mall in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, resulting in the tragic death of at least eleven individuals, as reported by officials and local media. pic.twitter.com/MqUJyA0Dmu
— godfather (@Truthgodfather) November 25, 2023
Rauf Hamid was one of those who managed to get out of the towering inferno.
“When the fire broke out, we saved ourselves by rushing towards a safe room. The smoke was so intense that we didn’t understand what was happening,” he was quoted as saying.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
