The smoke has cleared over Karachi’s Gul Plaza, but the stench of negligence remains. The death toll from the catastrophic fire that gutted the shopping complex has climbed to 67, with dozens still missing. What should have been a routine day of commerce turned into a slaughter because, once again, safety was sacrificed for profit.

The blaze, which raged for over 24 hours, exposed the crumbling infrastructure of Pakistan’s commercial capital. Firefighters battled not just the flames, but a city that has grown too fast, with narrow streets blocking engines and water hydrants that ran dry within minutes.

A Monument to Negligence

Survivors tell a harrowing tale of locked emergency exits and non-existent sprinkler systems. It is a story familiar to the Global South, from the factory fires of Bangladesh to the market infernos of Lagos. In the pursuit of rapid development, human life becomes the cheapest commodity.

• The Victims: Most of the dead were shopkeepers and low-wage workers who were trapped on the upper floors. They died protecting stock that was insured, in a building that wasn't safe.
• The Official Response: The provincial government has announced a compensation of 10 million rupees (approx. Sh4.6 million) per family. But as weeping mothers line up for DNA testing to identify the charred remains of their sons, cash feels like an insult.

No Lessons Learned

"We call this an accident, but it is a crime scene," says local activist Farooq Sattar. "The building code exists on paper, but the inspectors exist on bribes."

As the funerals begin, the anger in Karachi is palpable. This was not an act of God; it was an act of man-made failure. And until the corrupt nexus of builders and bureaucrats is broken, Gul Plaza will not be the last pyre.