Muhammed Amin is beside himself with grief and despair.
His brother, Naveed Memon, was inside Gul Plaza when a massive fire ripped through the densely-packed shopping centre in Pakistan's commercial capital, Karachi.
Like dozens of others, he still hasn't been found.
What should I tell my mother when I go home? What should I tell my nieces? asks Amin.
Housing an estimated 1,200 shops, Gul Plaza was a popular market for a variety of products. What started the fire is still unknown, but witnesses describe the rapid spread of flames and the impossibility of escape due to locked exits.
Rehan Faisal, a shop owner, managed to escape through a nearby exit, but not everyone was as fortunate. Many family members remain missing, with reports indicating that the confirmed death toll stands at 27 and over 70 individuals still unaccounted for.
Witnesses report that while some exits were locked, others couldn't be used due to dense crowds and rising smoke. One survivor, Shoiab, shared that he nearly fainted from the smoke but was saved by a stranger in the chaos.
The fire broke out in the evening, and rescue operations have faced delays due to the building's damaged structure. As families gather around the site, calls for accountability and scrutiny of emergency responses are intensifying. Karachi's mayor and local officials are under pressure to explain the slow response time during the emergency.
Many have blamed the management of the plaza for inadequate fire safety measures and insufficient emergency protocols. Survivors and the families of victims express outrage, asking how many more tragedies must occur before substantial reforms take place.
As the search for missing individuals continues, emotions run high among families fearing the worst.
