UPDATE – Pakistan mall fire death toll rises to 27 with 81 missing

​​​​​​​ADDS NEW CASUALTIES; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Berk Kutay Gokmen and Islamuddin Sajid

ISTANBUL/ISLAMABAD (AA) - Rescue teams continued searching through the charred debris of a major shopping mall in Pakistan’s commercial capital as the death toll from a massive fire rose to 27, with at least 81 people still reported missing, officials said Tuesday.

Police surgeon Summaiya Syed said 27 bodies have been brought to a hospital and samples from 50 families have been taken for DNA profiling and cross-matching.

The latest list by the Deputy Commissioner South office in Karachi showed 81 people, including women and children, remain unaccounted for, raising fears the toll could rise as search operations continue.

Geo News reported that much of the building had crumbled, forcing authorities to use cranes to demolish unstable sections amid concerns about further structural failure.

The fire broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping center on MA Jinnah Road, a busy commercial artery in Karachi’s historic business district.

The blaze raged for more than 24 hours before it was extinguished.

The building houses 1,200 shops, including outlets selling clothing, electrical appliances, cosmetics and crockery -- factors that contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.

Separately, Karachi South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso noted that rescue teams have cleared the ground and first floors of the mall.

He added that search and clearance operations are continuing on the upper floors.