Karachi: 30 bodies have been recovered from a single shop in Gul Plaza raising the death toll to 61.

DIG South Asad Raza said shopkeepers had pointed out the presence of people on the mezzanine level. All the 30 bodies have been recovered from a crockery shop. The work of removing debris has been stopped. The bodies are being retrieved first.

In order to save themselves people had locked themselves in the shop following the eruption of fire

The last known mobile phone locations of the victims also traced back to the same spot.

Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso announced that Rescue 1122 has been instructed to carry out a final search operation at Gul Plaza. He said the building will be demolished after the completion of the final rescue and recovery phase.

the deputy commissioner said the responsibility for demolishing the structure will rest with the Sindh Building Control Authority. He added that SBCA had already declared the building dangerous and unfit for use in its assessment report. The remaining structure will be brought down once the final search is completed.

According to the police surgeon, 11 bodies have so far been identified. DNA samples have been collected from the recovered remains, while samples from 51 relatives have also been taken to assist with identification.

Meanwhile, the family of another missing individual has contacted the Missing Persons Desk. Relatives of 65 year old Jahangir Shah have formally registered his disappearance, taking the total number of missing persons to 86.

Search operations at the fire affected plaza have continued across the ground floor, mezzanine floor and first floor, all of which have now been cleared. More than 40 percent of the building has collapsed, while the remaining structure is considered highly unstable and at risk of further collapse at any time.

Rescue teams have removed 32 vehicles from the rooftop of Gul Plaza, along with several large generators, to reduce structural pressure. Debris removal has been carried out using both heavy machinery and manual labour amid challenging conditions.

The deputy commissioner also confirmed that the adjacent Rampa Plaza has been temporarily sealed.

Map and other things of Rampa plaza have been sought from SBCA.