KARACHI: At least five people were killed and seven injured on Friday after a five-storey residential building collapsed in the Baghdadi area of Karachi’s Lyari, with efforts underway to rescue trapped individuals.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said 7 people were killed in the building collapse.
According to rescue personnel, at least four bodies and six people were pulled out of the rubble in an injured condition. A woman was among those rescued who later succumbed to her injuries.
Officials added that more people are feared to be trapped under the debris, and a rescue operation is currently underway.
Rescue officials said relief efforts began immediately upon receiving reports of the collapse.
Six families were living in the affected building, with reports of 25 to 30 people trapped in the rubble.
Hospital authorities confirmed that eight injured individuals were brought to the Civil Hospital’s Trauma Centre.
One of the injured, a woman, was in critical condition and was shifted to the ICU at Civil Hospital, but could not be saved. Trauma centre officials said the severely injured woman brought in was 40 years old and had sustained multiple fractures and wounds.
The remaining sustained minor injuries and are receiving treatment.
Deputy Commissioner South stated that efforts are underway to safely extract trapped individuals and confirmed that six families had been living in the collapsed building.
Two adjoining buildings — one with two storeys and another with seven — have been evacuated as a precaution.
Police and Rangers personnel have made announcements urging people to clear the affected location.
The stairs of a 7-story building next to the collapsed building also collapsed.
Rescue authorities added that blocked access roads delayed the arrival of heavy machinery. In the meantime, local residents initiated rescue efforts on their own. Rescue efforts, however, are facing difficulties due to the suspension of mobile phone signals in the area.
Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) sources say the building was 30 years old and dilapidated.
According to the SBCA, the building which collapsed in Lyari’s Baghdadi area had been declared dangerous long ago.
SBCA officials said that the structure had been marked unsafe, and multiple enforcement actions had been taken. Officials said that several notices were issued instructing residents to vacate the premises.
Residents of the area, however, claimed that no such notices were given by the administration.
The SBCA stated that 578 unsafe buildings exist in the city, with the highest number located in District South.
Speaking to Geo News, the nephew of the woman who owned the five-storey building that collapsed in Lyari stated that there were three portions on each floor, and whenever he visited, the building would be full of people.
He said that members of his family lived on the fourth floor; the woman was pulled out in critical condition, her son had passed away, and three relatives were still trapped.
On the other hand, the Deputy Commissioner Karachi said that an investigation is underway to determine why residents were not issued a notice regarding the unsafe building.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident. He prayed for the elevation of ranks of the deceased and extended condolences to their families.
The PM directed that the injured be provided all possible medical facilities and instructed that the rescue operation to save those trapped under the debris be expedited. He further called for a priority strategy to be devised to prevent such accidents in the future.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori expressed concern over the incident, stressing that all available resources must be utilised for rescue operations.
He directed that injured persons be provided immediate medical assistance and all necessary facilities, adding that any form of negligence or carelessness would not be tolerated.
Mayor Wahab, speaking to Geo News, said all required machinery had been dispatched to the site. He confirmed that the building which collapsed had already been declared dangerous, adding that 434 similarly unsafe structures exist in the Old City area alone.
Wahab said investigations and action would follow the rescue phase, but stressed that authorities try to avoid forcibly evicting residents as it is difficult for people to arrange alternative housing.
A high-level committee has been formed to investigate the collapse of the building in Lyari, a spokesperson for the Sindh Local Government Department said.
According to the spokesperson, the committee has been tasked with identifying negligent officers within three days.
Meanwhile, Sindh Local Government Minister has ordered the immediate suspension of relevant officials from the SBCA.
