A large fire erupted at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road on Saturday night, killing at least three people, according to officials. Dr Sabir Memon, executive director of the Civil Hospital trauma centre, said three dead bodies had been brought to the facility. He said that all three were dead when they were brought to the hospital. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that seven others were injured. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the fire erupted in shops located on the ground floor. However, he said there were people stuck on the upper portion of the high-rise building. “Six people have been injured and taken to the hospital,” he said. “Six fire tenders are busy controlling the fire; however, the situation is critical,” he said. Garden Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Mohsin Raza said in a statement that the fire appeared to have been caused by a short circuit at one of the shops, before spreading to the entire mall. He said that seven fire brigade vehicles were busy extinguishing the flames. He said that authorities at Civil Hospital had also been alerted. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar directed officials to divert traffic in the area to alternative routes for the safe passage of citizens. In a statement, he said that the cause of the fire should be ascertained through a thorough investigation. He said that the building should be secured so that the fire did not spread. The minister said the routes should be cleared so that fire brigade vehicles could access the scene.