Massive fire engulfs shopping mall

A massive fire swept through a multistory shopping mall in Pakistan’s largest southern city of Karachi, killing at least three people and injuring about a dozen others, police and rescue officials said.

Firefighters and rescue workers rushed to the Gul Plaza shortly after 10 p.m. local time following reports of the blaze, police and rescue officials said. According to local media, most shop owners had already closed their stores or had left when the fire broke out and spread quickly.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation would be launched once the blaze was extinguished. However, most structures in Karachi and other parts of the country lack fire prevention and firefighting systems, which often results in damage and casualties.

TV footage showed firefighters in protective gear battling the flames. Several fire trucks used ladders, water cannons, and hoses to douse the building’s floors, where flames shot out of windows and balconies. Thick black smoke billowed into the night sky and was visible from several blocks away, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.