Tragedy strikes Pakistan's Karachi: multiple dead after massive blaze engulfs shopping complex

At least three people were killed and several others injured after a massive fire ripped through the multi-storey Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan, sending thick black smoke billowing across the city skyline. The blaze is reported to have started late Saturday night on the ground floor in an area where garments and plastic household goods were stored, causing the flames to spread rapidly through dozens of shops and trapping people on upper floors. Authorities say firefighters battled the inferno for hours, while police have launched an investigation into the cause, which was not immediately clear; the incident has revived grim memories of a similar 2023 mall fire in Karachi that killed 10 people and exposed chronic weaknesses in building safety and fire-prevention systems.