PAKISTAN — In the aftermath of the devastating Gul Plaza shopping mall fire in Karachi, rescue workers and bystanders were struck by a remarkable sight: multiple copies of the Holy Quran were found completely unharmed inside the mosque located on the building’s first floor, despite the surrounding blaze that has so far killed at least 28 people and left dozens missing.

The fire, one of the deadliest in the city in recent years, broke out late on 17 January 2026 and raged for more than a day, consuming much of the multi-storey complex that housed roughly 1,200 shops and trapping many inside.

As rescuers cautiously searched the smoke-filled wreckage, a video circulated online showing emergency personnel uncovering a bookshelf within the mall’s mosque where copies of the Qur’an lay untouched by flames or smoke damage. One rescuer can be heard carefully lifting the sacred books to a safer area.

Officials have clarified that the space suffered no major structural damage from the fire and that there were no people inside at the time, but the intact Qur’ans have resonated widely with Pakistanis and Muslims abroad as a profound moment amid tragedy.

Human Toll and Ongoing Rescue Efforts

Authorities report that at least 28 bodies have been recovered from the rubble, with more than 80 people still unaccounted for as search operations continue. Firefighters faced repeated challenges as the blaze flared up during cooling efforts and as rescue workers navigated unstable floors and debris.

The Sindh provincial government has announced compensation for the families of those killed and launched inquiries into fire safety measures in commercial buildings, amid growing calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations to prevent future disasters.

Emotional and Religious Significance

For many in Pakistan’s Muslim community, seeing the Qur’an emerge from the inferno unharmed carried both emotional and spiritual significance. The Qur’an’s preservation during such a catastrophic event has been widely shared on social media and interpreted by some observers as a symbol of hope amid immense loss.

Islamic teachings place a profound emphasis on the reverence and protection of the Qur’an as the revealed word of God. The preservation of these copies — while other parts of the plaza lay destroyed — has been seen as resonating with the deep moral and spiritual values that guide Muslim believers, who often look for signs of resilience and meaning in the face of adversity.

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