Rescue workers had pulled at least 112 charred bodies from the factory in Baldia Town area of the city, which was gutted by the blaze, officials said today.
The fire broke out on the second floor of the building last evening. Officials said they feared dozens were still trapped inside as fire fighters tried to put out the flames.
Sagheer Ahmed, the Health Minister of Sindh province, said 31 people were injured. Women and children were among the dead and injured.
Officials at the Civil Hospital and Jinnah Hospital said they had received over 50 bodies. More bodies were taken to other hospitals. Only about 25 bodies had been identified so far as most of them were badly charred, officials said.
When the fire engulfed the second and third floors out yesterday, several workers jumped out of windows in desperation. Others used the lights of their mobile phones to signal their location to fire fighters. Special ladders were used to bring down people who gathered on the roof.
Fire fighters said they could not enter the factory for several hours because of the intensity of the blaze.
They called in additional fire fighters and special squads from the navy. At least 40 fire tenders were used to put out the flames.
"There are more people trapped inside the building right now particularly in the basement and we fear the building might also collapse eventually due to the damage caused by the fire," Karachi's Chief Fire Officer Ehtishamuddin Siddiqui told PTI. MORE
