Fire Safety Failures in Pakistan Claim Lives Amid Devastating Karachi Mall Blaze

In the late hours of Saturday, a catastrophic fire engulfed the multistory Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan's largest southern metropolis. The blaze claimed at least three lives and injured a dozen others before firefighters contained it—a tragic reminder of the persistent public safety failures endemic across much of the developing world. The quick spread of this inferno was not merely a matter of unfortunate timing. It exposed systemic negligence: inadequate fire prevention infrastructure, lack of effective firefighting systems, and unsafe storage practices that turned imported garments and plastic household goods into lethal accelerants. Why Does This Matter to...