Karachi At least seven people were killed on Friday when a five-storey residential building collapsed in the Baghdadi area of Lyari leaving several others trapped under the rubble.
According to rescue sources, 10 people have been pulled out injured — one of them in critical condition.
Rescue teams, police, and Rangers reached the scene shortly after the incident and launched relief operations. Rescuers have been using heavy machinery to remove the debris.
Local residents are also actively assisting in the rescue efforts.
Rescue officials reported that 10 injured individuals — including three women — have been shifted to the Trauma Centre at Civil Hospital. Hospital authorities have confirmed that one of the injured women is in critical condition.
An Edhi Foundation spokesperson stated that two bodies and five injured people were recovered from the debris. Emergency has been declared at both the Jinnah Hospital and the Civil Hospital.
Eyewitnesses said that several families were living in the building, which was in a dilapidated condition.
MAYOR MURTAZA WAHAB VISITS COLLAPSE SITE
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the site of the collapsed building in Lyari’s Baghdadi area and said that the rescue operation is underway. He stated that Rescue 1122, KPT, and district administration teams are actively participating in the operation.
Wahab mentioned that the rescue operation will take some more time to complete. So far, seven people have been reported dead in the tragic incident, and teams are working to recover those trapped under the rubble.
The mayor vowed that those responsible for this tragic incident will not be spared. He revealed that the SBCA had issued four notices to vacate the affected building, but the residents considered it their personal property and refused to leave.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said on X, “Relief and rescue work is ongoing,”
Meanwhile, Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani has taken notice of the incident and directed that all trapped individuals be rescued as quickly as possible.
Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and shoddy construction materials in the South Asian country of more than 240 million people.
But Karachi, home to more than 20 million, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of building regulations.
PRESIDENT, PM EXPRESS GRIEF OVER LOSS OF LIVES
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic building collapse in Karachi. He extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the swift recovery and rehabilitation of the injured.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the incident and directed that the rescue operation to retrieve those trapped under the debris be expedited. He instructed that all possible medical facilities be provided to the injured.
Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the need to formulate a strategy on a priority basis to prevent such accidents in the future.
GOVERNOR TESSORI, CM SHAH EXPRESS CONCERN
Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori expressed concern over the collapse and instructed rescue agencies to carry out relief operations. He emphasized that all available resources should be used to pull those trapped under rubble out and to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also took notice of the incident, calling it a deeply tragic event. He directed the authorities to submit an urgent report and ordered the Sindh Building Control Authority to immediately provide details of all deteriorating buildings across the city.
