The Gul Plaza inferno that erupted on Saturday night, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others, is one of the deadliest fires Karachi has witnessed in recent years. It is also the latest reminder of a grim and familiar pattern in a metropolis where fires routinely destroy homes, businesses and livelihoods. Across Pakistan, fires frequently break out in residential, commercial and industrial buildings due to a toxic mix of crumbling infrastructure, weak enforcement of safety regulations and widespread negligence. Many structures lack basic fire exits, alarms and emergency response protocols, while faulty wiring and overloaded power systems sharply increase the risk of electrical short circuits. City planners and engineers estimate that around 70 per cent of Karachi’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings do not have an adequate fire safety system. Despite the frequency and scale of such incidents, accountability has remained elusive. Investigations are rarely concluded, recommendations are seldom implemented, and the same hazards persist, leaving citizens exposed to repeated tragedy. Below is a timeline of major fire incidents in Karachi over the past three years, showing how regularly the city is engulfed in flames — and how little appears to change. January 16, 2026 At least 20 containers were destroyed when a fire erupted at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT). No casualties were reported as workers had gone for Friday prayers. A total of 20 fire tenders from the Rescue services, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) Fire Brigade, KPT and the Pakistan Navy brought the blaze under control within three hours. December 22, 2025 A fire broke out at the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Landhi and was brought under control after several hours. No casualties were reported since factory workers had already left the building that evening. More than 15 fire tenders, including two snorkels, managed to control the fire by around 8:50pm. Cooling operations continued late into the night. December 4, 2025 The building of a garment factory in the EPZ collapsed after a fire erupted there, injuring two firefighters . November 23, 2025 A fire that broke out in a freight train at Cantt Station destroyed dried fruits, solar inverters and batteries inside the two bogies that were completely gutted. The same day, two people became unconscious due to smoke inhalation when a fire erupted in a high-rise building in the Soldier Bazaar area on Sunday evening. The shop where the fire erupted was destroyed in the blaze. November 2, 2025 No casualties were reported when a fire erupted near Munawar Chowrangi in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, although more than 300 huts were destroyed , along with motorcycles and sewing machines, while some goats were also killed. Four fire tenders managed to control the blaze in as many hours. Separately, a woman and her 25-year-old daughter were killed when a fire erupted inside a house near Shah Faisal Chowk in Orangi Town. October 27, 2025 One person was killed in a fire outside Karachi University, which engulfed a nearby graveyard, damaged some graves, and destroyed around 10-20 huts (makeshift houses). The fire also reached a nearby housing complex, which prompted citizens to vacate their flats. It took around 12 fire tenders to control the blaze. October 15, 2025 Five people, including two children, suffered burns when a fire erupted in a candle factory in the Sher Shah area, while one person was injured by a falling structure. The fire destroyed the industrial unit, as well as two nearby warehouses and four residential properties. October 8, 2025 No casualties were reported after a fire erupted in a plastic factory in Liaquatabad early in the morning. Three fire tenders managed to contain the blaze, which appeared to have been caused by a short circuit. September 27, 2025 Two women died of suffocation, and nine people were injured in a fire that erupted in a four-storey building in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). Rescue officials said the fire erupted in a car showroom situated on the ground floor of the residential-cum-commercial building in DHA Phase-II and spread rapidly to other floors. Six fire tenders rushed to the scene and managed to control the blaze, which officials say was likely caused by a short circuit. September 9, 2025 At least four firemen and one cameraman of a private TV channel were injured when a fire destroyed a garment factory in New Karachi Industrial Area. The blaze erupted around 6:30am and the factory building collapsed around noon. Police say the presence of diesel drums compounded the fire, which spread rapidly and engulfed two more industrial units in its vicinity. The fire was eventually brought under control around 3:15pm. August 21, 2025 Six people died , and 33 were injured when a fire broke out in a warehouse near Karachi’s Taj Medical Complex on MA Jinnah Road. The deaths were said to be a result of “multiple crush injuries and suffocation”, according to a medico-legal official. August 7, 2025 Eight people were injured in a massive factory fire at the EPZ that damaged three other factories. A total of 20 fire tenders with two snorkels, five ambulances and water bowsers were engaged in the fire that was controlled by 4pm after beginning at 10am. June 17, 2025 A massive fire that erupted in Millennium Mall, ostensibly due to an electrical short circuit, destroyed several hundred shops. While the blaze caused substantial financial loss, no one was killed or injured. The fire was controlled by over a dozen fire tenders of Rescue 1122 and KMC’s Fire Brigade. June 1, 2025 Eleven people were rescued, and no loss of life was reported when a fire broke out at the 12-storey Al-Rahim Tower on I.I. Chundrigar Road. The fire was apparently caused by a “short circuit” and spread through wiring in the building. Some employees climbed to the rooftop of the building, where they were rescued with the help of a snorkel, while four fire tenders managed to control the blaze after hectic efforts. The fire partially damaged one of the cars parked in the basement. April 10, 2025 A huge fire erupted in a factory inside the EPZ and was eventually contained with the help of five fire tenders and two water bowsers. All raw material present inside the factory, which was a plastic manufacturing industrial unit, was destroyed. No injuries or loss of life occurred since nobody was present in the factory at the time of the fire. March 10, 2025 A huge fire triggered by a cylinder explosion in an eatery in the afternoon destroyed 150 shops of a timber market on the Superhighway, although no one was hurt in the incident. February 15, 2025 Five members of the same family suffered critical burn wounds in an explosion caused by a leakage in a gas geyser in a four-storey house in Federal B Area’s Block 2 near Al-Falah Masjid. February 12, 2025 An abandoned restaurant at Do Darya in DHA Phase 8 was engulfed in a massive fire, which spread rapidly due to the restaurant’s wooden structure. It took four fire tenders to control the blaze, whose exact cause could not be ascertained immediately December 3, 2024 Two floors of the 13-storey Rimpa Plaza at M.A. Jinnah Road were completely destroyed, and another two were partially damaged when a fire erupted in the building, although no casualties were reported. Rescue 1122 said its fire and rescue team, along with two ambulances, four firetrucks, and a snorkel, eventually put out the blaze but initially faced difficulties “due to improper ventilation” in the building. September 11, 2024 A 55-year-old man died when a fire broke out at a residential building in Shah Faisal Colony Number 3. The blaze — the result of a cigarette being thrown near a petrol shop — was doused by a total of five fire brigade vehicles. August 16, 2024 A huge fire that broke out in an industrial unit in the SITE area was eventually controlled after hours-long efforts that caused one fireman to lose consciousness, although no loss of life was reported. Factory administration said that a high-tension wire passing above the factory snapped and fell on a gunny bag inside the industrial unit, which caught fire, spreading due to the presence of flammable material in the factory. July 8, 2024 A fire that broke out at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building on I.I. Chundrigar Road led to the suspension of trading activity for around two hours, although no loss of life was reported. July 6, 2024 At least three people were hospitalised after being affected by smoke from a fire that erupted in a multi-storey building on Sharea Faisal, although no casualties were reported in the incident that took place at Kashif Centre. December 6, 2023 Three people were killed, and two suffered burn injuries when a fire broke out in a six-storey commercial and residential building on Main Shahrah-i-Pakistan near Ayesha Manzil in F.B Area. A total of 12 fire engines, two snorkels and two bowsers were needed to control the fire. November 25, 2023 Eleven people died, and 22 were injured in a fire at RJ Mall on Rashid Minhas Road, which officials blamed on a short circuit. Doctors and officials said the victims suffocated due to a lack of ventilation in the building. It took 12 fire engines, two snorkels and two bowsers to bring the fire under control. November 13, 2023 A 25-year-old woman suffered burn injuries after a fire erupted in the multi-storey Business and Finance Centre on I.I. Chundrigar Road, which had 300 offices and from which 2,000 employees were safely evacuated. It took 12 fire tenders to control the blaze. Police said initial reports suggested that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the electricity meters, although a K-Electric official claimed that the company’s electrical installations were found “intact and safe” with no damage to its substation. April 13, 2023 Four firefighters lost their lives , and 13 others were injured in a factory fire in New Karachi, resulting in significant damage to the building and its subsequent collapse. Header image: People gather after a deadly fire at a shopping mall in Karachi on January 19, 2026. — AFP