Local officials Sunday confirmed that eight people were killed and six other were still missing in a shopping center fire in a town near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

Local press reports quoted Commissioner Haseeb Athar as saying that another 59 people were injured in the blaze of the Gakhar Plaza, a major shopping mall in Rawalpindi, some 30 kms south of Islamabad, and up to Sunday morning, 49 of the injured had been released from the hospital after administering medical aid.

Athar said that the plaza fire had been brought under control. He said that there were fears of some persons still lying buried under the debris and efforts were afoot for their retrieval.

The fire at the busy shopping center suddenly erupted midnight Friday. It had started from a garment shop and soon engulfed the entire plaza, resulting in the collapse of one portion of the building, burying several persons under the debris.

The reason for the outbreak of fire was not immediately known, however, rescue officials said that it could have been due to power short circuit.