Karachi, Jan. 25 -- The death toll from the devastating Gul Plaza fire in Karachi has climbed to 73, with authorities stating that the search and recovery operation at the site is nearing completion, according to Geo News.

The massive blaze, described as Karachi's worst commercial fire in more than a decade, broke out on January 17 and quickly engulfed the multi-storey Gul Plaza shopping complex. The building housed nearly 1,200 small, family-run shops dealing in wedding garments, toys, crockery and other consumer goods.

Deputy Commissioner South, Javed Nabi Khosa, said that the search operation is almost complete and that the fire-damaged building will be sealed on Monday (January 26). He added that authorities are making final efforts...