Six members of Mehmood Khan’s family are among those missing. “My two 15-year-old nephews, a cousin, and three other relatives,” he told The Associated Press.
He said they were last heard of about an hour after the fire broke out, when they received a voice message saying smoke had filled the building.
Firefighter Muhammad Aslam, 57, said the main section collapsed while first responders were inside the building, killing his colleague Furqan Ali and injuring another firefighter.
Nearly a third of the mall has collapsed, according to Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, a senior rescue official.
“We still cannot enter the upper sections because of the weakened structure and dense smoke in narrow alleys and small shops,” he told the AP.
Karachi’s Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that some sections of the building had already been searched and heavy machinery was being used to clear rubble from a portion that collapsed Sunday.
Wahab met with families of the missing, many visibly shaken, and assured them that authorities were making every effort to locate those still unaccounted for.
“We will continue this rescue operation until all missing persons are found,” he told reporters.
