In a heart-wrenching tragedy, a five-storey residential building in Karachi’s Lyari area collapsed on Friday, claiming at least 11 lives, including four women, six men, and a seven-year-old boy.
Eight people were rescued from the rubble, but authorities fear that nearly 25 individuals may still be trapped beneath the debris.
The incident took place in the Baghdadi area, where buildings stand closely packed together, making rescue operations even more difficult. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed the fatalities and revealed that the building, constructed in 1974, had long been marked as unsafe. “There are over 400 dangerous buildings in Karachi. We always try to convince people to leave, but this tragedy proves that warnings must be taken seriously,” Wahab said, expressing his frustration.
Desperate rescue efforts continue
Rescue teams, including Rangers, City Wardens, and volunteers, worked tirelessly, using heavy machinery and a Trapped Person Locator — a heartbeat-detecting device — to search for survivors. Despite exhaustion, the rescue workers continued their efforts without breaks, preparing floodlights to keep the operation going through the night.
The chaotic scene was filled with grieving families, many of whom tried to assist rescue workers, unintentionally slowing down the process. Authorities quickly cordoned off the area to prevent further disruptions.
According to officials, the collapsed building contained 20 apartments, and at the time of the disaster, six families were residing there. Rescue efforts were initially delayed by blocked roads and poor mobile network signals, forcing locals to start saving lives before official teams arrived.
Unsafe buildings in Karachi raise alarm
This Lyari building collapse has once again highlighted the unsafe buildings in Karachi, a long-standing issue that residents and authorities have struggled to address. Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani revealed that a high-level committee has been formed to investigate the collapse and will submit its findings within three days.
The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) disclosed that the structure was over 30 years old and had repeatedly been declared unsafe. Several notices were issued to its residents to vacate, but they remained ignored. Following the collapse, top SBCA officials, including the Director and Building Inspectors, have been suspended.
Alarmingly, the SBCA confirmed that unsafe buildings in Karachi number at least 578, with the majority located in District South. Ghani promised stricter policies to prevent such disasters and ordered the rescue teams to prioritise saving those still trapped.
Leaders call for accountability
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their sorrow over the lives lost and directed the Sindh government to accelerate relief efforts. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also conveyed his condolences, emphasising the need for swift medical care for the injured and urging rescue teams to speed up operations.
Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Emir Munim Zafar, visiting the collapse site, condemned the tragedy and criticised the SBCA, claiming rampant illegal constructions occur under its watch. “Karachi is turning into a jungle of concrete. Five-storey buildings on 60-square-yard plots are a recipe for disaster,” he said.
He alleged that over 100,000 buildings have been built in Karachi over the last five years without proper approval, placing countless lives at risk.
