KARACHI:
At least 16 people, including three women and a child, are confirmed dead after a five-storey residential building collapsed in Lyari neighbourhood early Friday morning, authorities said on Saturday.
Emergency responders have rescued nine injured survivors so far, but officials fear at least 25 to 30 more people may still be buried beneath the debris.
The building, located in Lyari’s Baghdadi area, housed six families and collapsed on Friday. Rescue workers arrived promptly, using heavy machinery to sift through the rubble.
Officials say the building was declared unsafe three years ago, yet neither the residents evacuated nor did the authorities take any enforcement action. Each floor of the building reportedly contained three apartments.
Two adjacent buildings—a two-storey and a seven-storey structure—have been evacuated as a precaution. Power and gas lines to the collapsed building have been cut to prevent further hazards.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi said the rescue operation may take up to 24 hours. He urged residents of unsafe buildings to relocate voluntarily.
“We cannot force people out of their homes,” he said, adding that a meeting with the Sindh Building Control Authority has been called to address illegal constructions.
Karachi South Deputy Commissioner Javed Khoso confirmed that the building’s residents were served notices in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Of 107 dangerous buildings in the district, 21 are classified as highly hazardous, and 14 have already been vacated, he said, adding, “It would be premature to assign blame at this stage.”
