Mall fire in Pakistan leaves at least 13 dead

Dec. 29, 2014: A Pakistani woman mourns over the dead body of a family member after a fire broke out in a building, in Lahore, Pakistan (AP)

A fire in a shopping mall in the Pakistani city of Lahore killed at least 13 people, local media reported Tuesday.

The fire broke out at the oldest shopping center in the eastern city, which is considered Pakistan's cultural center.

Video footage shows rescuers escorting the wounded into ambulances Monday as firefighters struggled to beat back the blaze with extinguishers.

Mohammed Usman, a city government official on the scene of the blaze, said the victims died of suffocation and burns. They included a woman and a child.

Usman said the fire burned the main gate of the shopping center, where mostly watches and clothes are sold. He said there was no exit in the back part of the mall. Usman said the fire was caused by a short circuit in one of the shops.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief over the deadly blaze, and directed the government to accelerate the rescue and relief efforts.