KARACHI – The rescue operation at the site of the collapsed building in Karachi’s Lyari area has been completed on the third day, with the death toll reaching 27.
Heavy machinery was used to remove the debris of the residential building located in Lyari’s Baghdadi area. According to rescue officials, 27 bodies were recovered from the rubble. Among the injured, 10 were discharged after receiving medical treatment, while one remains under care.
The final body pulled from the wreckage was of a young man named Zaid. The deceased include 3 children, 9 women, and 15 men.
The Chief Fire Officer explained that the operation took longer due to the possibility of bodies being trapped under the debris.
It has been revealed that instead of removing the third floor of the building, two additional floors were illegally constructed — pointing to serious administrative negligence.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed deep sorrow over the incident, stating that such tragedies occur when residents resist vacating unsafe buildings despite warnings. He noted that life-detection devices could have helped locate survivors under the debris, but the noise from machinery and rescue efforts made their use ineffective.
According to officials, 22 buildings in Lyari have been declared dangerous. Fourteen of them have already been vacated, while efforts are ongoing to clear the remaining eight.
Surrounding buildings were also damaged by the collapse. Police have cordoned off the area, and adjacent structures have been evacuated. Around 50 rickshaws parked beneath the collapsed building were also destroyed.
Meanwhile, in Lyari’s Agra Taj area, an eight-storey residential building developed dangerous cracks. Authorities declared it unsafe, evacuated its residents, sealed the building, and disconnected power and water supply. The rooftop water tank was also demolished.
Residents protested and demanded alternative housing. The Deputy Commissioner of South Karachi said arrangements were offered to relocate the affected families to a nearby school.
A case has been registered at Kalri Police Station against the building’s developer and the contractor, following a complaint filed by an assistant director of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). The building was constructed two years ago.
