Reports from Sunday indicate over a dozen injuries, with victims flooding local hospitals. Firefighter Furqan’s body was found buried in rubble, a grim reminder of the risks faced by first responders.

Medical teams treated 15 at Civil Hospital’s trauma unit and burns ward; most have been sent home. Two others recovered at Jinnah Hospital.

Spanning two acres, the mall’s inadequate ventilation fueled the fire’s spread. Chief firefighter Humayun Khan told media: ‘High temperatures block access, and the building is now fully condemned.’

Sindh Building Control Authority inspectors are on-site, evaluating the wreckage. Rescue 1122 deployed 20 tenders and snorkels, yet the flames cling to the periphery.

‘We can’t confirm how many remain trapped,’ Khan cautioned, as operations grind on. The area remains cordoned off, prioritizing safety.

This comes after back-to-back tragedies that killed 23, raising alarms over building codes and emergency readiness in densely packed urban zones like Karachi. As the sun sets on day one, hope flickers for survivors while questions mount on prevention.

The catastrophic blaze reportedly ignited around 2:50 PM local time and rapidly ascended the exteriors of the structures. The fire’s rapid spread was exacerbated by bamboo scaffolding and green safety netting, remnants of ongoing renovation work, which acted as fuel for the rapidly growing flames. In response to the escalating crisis, authorities quickly raised the alarm to a No. 4 level, signifying one of Hong Kong’s most severe emergency responses.

Disturbing video footage captured the harrowing scene, showing several blocks of the housing estate engulfed in fire, with flames leaping skyward and dense black smoke obscuring the daylight. Firefighting efforts were severely hampered as burning debris, including bamboo poles, rained down from the burning structures.

The affected estate is a densely populated area, comprising eight residential towers and housing over 4,800 residents in approximately 2,000 flats. Located in the New Territories, Tai Po is characterized by its concentration of tall buildings, raising concerns about the potential for the fire to spread further.

Rescue operations are continuing with intense urgency. Emergency teams are conducting meticulous floor-by-floor searches to find anyone still trapped within the buildings while simultaneously working to extinguish remaining hotspots on the scaffold-clad facades. Temporary shelters have been established to provide refuge for displaced families.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with authorities yet to release official findings on its origin.