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Gul Plaza blaze took 79 lives, most in mezzanine floor: report

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Gul Plaza blaze took 79 lives, most in mezzanine floor: report


Fire department workers walk past the site, following a massive fire that broke out in the Gul Plaza shopping centre in Karachi on January 20, 2026. — Reuters
  • Final report to be presented to Sindh CM.
  • Fire erupted around 10:15pm on Jan 17.
  • Rescue teams, fire brigade responded “promptly”.

KARACHI: Karachi’s Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi has finalised the investigative report on the devastating Gul Plaza fire, which will be submitted to Sindh Chief Minister Muard Ali Shah, which revealed that 79 lives were lost in the tragedy, sources told Geo News.

The committee, comprising the commissioner and Additional IG, compiled the report, the sources said on Wednesday.

Karachi’s largest fire in more than a decade broke out on January 17 and quickly spread through the sprawling shopping complex, famous for its 1,200 family-owned stores selling wedding clothes, toys, crockery, and other goods.

According to sources, the report details the causes of the fire, actions taken by the fire brigade, rescue operations, and relief efforts. It also incorporates information from victims, eyewitnesses, and rescue officials.

The blaze broke out at 10:15pm on January 17, with the fire brigade informed at 10:26pm. The first fire tender arrived on the scene within 11 minutes, at 10:37pm, while the Deputy Commissioner South reached at 10:30pm and Rescue 1122 personnel arrived at 10:53pm.

Investigators found that the fire originated at a flower shop on the ground floor, caused by a child, and spread rapidly through air-conditioning (AC) ducts to other parts of the building. The tragic incident claimed 79 lives, with the majority of fatalities occurring on the mezzanine floor.

Meanwhile, the search operation of the deadly shopping centre fire culminated after 10 days of arduous rescue and relief efforts, and the scorched shopping centre was sealed on Tuesday.

A first information report (FIR) was later registered at the Nabi Bux Police Station with provisions relating to negligence and carelessness.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that there were concerns of sabotage or terrorism, but the matter was not clear, and anti-terror provisions would be added in the FIR if there was sufficient evidence.

Sindh CM Shah has also announced plans to rebuild shops on the site within two years, saying the remaining part of Gul Plaza would be demolished.





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After ads, will ChatGPT responses remain trustworthy? OpenAI says yes

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After ads, will ChatGPT responses remain trustworthy? OpenAI says yes


After ads, will ChatGPT responses remain trustworthy? OpenAI says yes

As OpenAI is gearing up to rollout ads for both free and $8 ChatGPT Go, the company has assured users that ads will not affect ChatGPT’s responses and will be labelled and separated from the content.

Early signs of this rollout have been spotted on Android devices, suggesting the inclusion of ads in ChatGPT is close.

As noted on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI has designed a full-screen onboarding experience to familiarise users with ads in ChatGPT.

Although the AI giant has assured not to share personal information with advertisers, the current chat may still influence the type of sponsored ads displayed below the answers.

At the current stage, the commendable thing is that users have the option to hide ads, understand why specific ads were shown, and clear their ad data.

Ads will appear as a “Sponsored” block, and tapping the overflow menu draws the dropdown to hide the ad, report it, or even “Ask ChatGPT” about it.

OpenAI stated: “Our mission is to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity; our pursuit of advertising is always in support of that mission and making AI more accessible.”

Furthermore, the company has emphasised that conversations will remain private from advertisers and that user data will never be sold. A new “Ads controls” page has also been added to let users manage their ad history and interests without affecting their chat data.

These ads won’t be displayed to users of ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans.





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David Beckham makes dig at Brooklyn amid family rift: ‘Watch and learn’

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David Beckham makes dig at Brooklyn amid family rift: ‘Watch and learn’


David Beckham’s subtle dig at Brooklyn amid family rift: ‘Watch and learn’

As the Beckham family drama deepens, David Beckham had refrained from making a direct comment about any of the tensions.

However, the doting father, who often roasts his children playfully, sent a pointed message to his estranged son, Brooklyn, as he collaborated with his close friend Gordon Ramsay.

The famous British chef, who himself is going through some drama with regards to his son-in-law Adam Peaty, shared an update.

David, who is a legendary former footballer, flaunted one of his many skills, cooking. In a video clip, Gordon and David are seen on a video call in which David makes a scallop risotto.

“Usually when David Beckham calls it’s about football but I was surprised when he was cooking up one of my homechef recipes, Gordon had written on Instagram.

Before marrying Nicola Peltz, Brooklyn had tried to launch himself as a cook as he shared videos of himself cooking simple recipes. However, most of the time he was roasted and trolled for his skills, which were often dubbed as mediocre.

While he pursued cooking for a while, he seemed to have abandoned that idea and modify it by selling his own hot sauce.

The update comes over a week after Brooklyn made a series of shocking Instagram Stories posts about his family. He had broken his silence on the ongoing rumours about a rift in the family and clearly stated that he “[does] not want to reconcile with [his] family.”

He noted, “I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”





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Historic recording by “Sly and the Family Stone” released after gathering dust: “Sheer magic”

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Historic recording by “Sly and the Family Stone” released after gathering dust: “Sheer magic”


Archivist and music historian Alex Palao worked to restore old tapes by “Sly and Family Stone” that gathered dust for decades. He co-produced the live album called “The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967.” He is now nominated for “Best Album Notes” at Sunday’s Grammy Awards. CBS News San Francisco’s Max Darrow has the story.



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