Rescuers were combing through the debris in search of survivors at Ghakhar Plaza, which partially collapsed 12 hours after the blaze erupted in the early hours of Saturday, deputy city commissioner Haseeb Athar told reporters.

'Eight people have died and 59 were injured. Six are still missing,' Mr Athar said.

'The rescue work is still continuing and we hope to find more people alive.'

The cause of the massive blaze, which engulfed hundreds of shops, was not immediately known.

Plaza owner Shahid Zafar, a former federal minister, told private Geo television that the blaze in Rawalpindi - the twin city of the Pakistani capital Islamabad - had caused millions of dollars in losses to shopkeepers. -- AFP