Pakistan Shopping Mall Blaze Leaves Scores of Casualties

A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN
A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN
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Pakistan Shopping Mall Blaze Leaves Scores of Casualties

A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN
A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN

A fire tore through a shopping mall in the southwestern Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 20 others, police and local officials said Saturday.
The multi-story RJ Mall is in a commercial high-rise that also houses call centers and software firms.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the fire had been extinguished and a cooling process was underway.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common. Earlier this year in April, a fire tore through a garment factory killing four firefighters. The flames ripped through the building, eventually causing it to collapse.



Israel Says Houthi Missile Lands in Tel Aviv Area, 14 Lightly Injured

21 December 2024, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli emergency responders inspect the damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv early Saturday. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
21 December 2024, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli emergency responders inspect the damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv early Saturday. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
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Israel Says Houthi Missile Lands in Tel Aviv Area, 14 Lightly Injured

21 December 2024, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli emergency responders inspect the damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv early Saturday. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
21 December 2024, Israel, Tel Aviv: Israeli emergency responders inspect the damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv early Saturday. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

The Israeli military said it failed to intercept a missile from Yemen early on Saturday that fell in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area, and the ambulance service said 14 people received mild injuries.

A spokesperson for the Iran-backed Houthi militias said they had hit a "military target" in the Jaffa area with a ballistic missile.

Paramedics were treating 14 people with minor shrapnel injuries and some were taken to hospital, the ambulance service said in a statement.

The Israeli police reported receiving reports of a fallen missile in a town in the Tel Aviv area.

The Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

On Thursday, Israel launched strikes against ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-held parts of Yemen and threatened more attacks against the militias.