Death toll rises to 73 as nine-day Gul Plaza search operation ends
Pakistan
South DC Javed Nabi Khoso said the building will be sealed on Monday (today), adding, “Relatives of 13 missing people have not contacted us or provided DNA samples.
KARACHI (Dunya News) - The district administration on Sunday announced concluding the search and rescue operations for the victims of Gul Plaza inferno ninth day after the tragedy, which claimed 73 lives.
On 9th day of the rescue and search operation, two more bodies were recovered from the rubble of the building, bringing the death toll to 73.
Another body was identified with the help of DNA, with a total of 23 bodies have been identified, leaving only six people missing out of 79.
South DC Javed Nabi Khoso said the building will be sealed on Monday (today), adding, “Relatives of 13 missing people have not contacted us or provided DNA samples. The relatives of 55 people have submitted DNA samples.
Read More: Karachi's Gul Plaza fire: 67 killed, 77 missing; DC South rules out short circuit
“The data of 30 bodies has been sent to the government for compensation. Checks will be distributed soon among the bereaved families,” he said.
City SSP Arif Aziz said that a case was registered on Saturday. The process of taking statements is ongoing. The statements of 10 people, including six guards, have been recorded.
Police will try to get information about the tragedy from the DVRs. All aspects will be brought to light, the SSP added.
Read More: Preliminary report identifies lighter as cause of Gul Plaza fire in Karachi
Earlier, At least 67 people were confirmed dead and dozens remained unaccounted for following the devastating fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi.
Speaking to the media, the deputy commissioner stressed that the incident would not be attributed to a short circuit alone and that a comprehensive investigation was under way. He said rescue operations were continuing inside the damaged building, despite the structure being in an extremely hazardous condition.
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Heavy machinery had been temporarily halted to allow rescue workers to enter safely, he added and warned that the building could collapse at any moment due to severe structural damage.
According to the DC South, around 40 percent of the plaza has already collapsed. Search operations have been completed in all accessible areas except for the portion that has fallen on both sides of the building. Rescue teams are continuing efforts to retrieve any possible bodies trapped under the rubble.
