In Pakistan, 14 people were killed in a fire at a shopping mall.

At least 14 people have died and 60 more are missing after a large-scale fire at the Gul Plaza mall in the Pakistani city of Karachi. This was reported on January 19 by the Reuters news agency, citing Police Chief Javed Alam Odo.

"Rescue operations are underway, and we hope that they will be completed as soon as possible, but I cannot give a specific time frame," Odo said.

He also added that 18 people injured in the fire have been discharged from the hospital. Hundreds of people surrounded the building to watch the rescue efforts.

Rescuers warned that the remaining structure is unstable and could collapse at any moment.

"We were abandoned to the mercy of fate, we found ourselves in a desperate situation; 20 years of hard work – everything is gone," said Yasmin Bano, the owner of the store.

According to firefighters, due to insufficient ventilation in the Gul Plaza shopping center, thick smoke filled the premises and slowed down the search for people trapped inside.

The fire started late on January 17 in the multi-storey shopping complex Gul Plaza, which houses 1.2 thousand shops and occupies an area larger than a football field in the historic center of Karachi.

Focal correction: which regions are threatened by wildfires in September

A special regime related to the risk of fire is in effect in 51 regions of the country.

The day before, the TRT World TV channel reported that at least 16 people died as a result of forest fires in southern Chile. The Chilean authorities have declared a state of emergency in the regions of Nyubla and Bio-Bio, where the most dangerous fires are raging. The fires are located about 500 km south of the capital Santiago.

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