Death toll in Karachi mall fire hits 55

The death toll from a mall fire in Pakistan’s biggest city rose to at least 55 people, a Karachi government official said yesterday.

“A total of 55 bodies have been recovered since Saturday night” when the fire erupted, said Javed Nabi Khoso, deputy commissioner of Karachi’s south district.

Relatives of those still missing have criticised the slow operation at the three-storey Gul Plaza, where rescuers are scouring the wreckage for human remains. More than 50 families have given DNA samples, provincial health official Summaiya Syed told journalists Wednesday.