At least five people were killed and several others injured after a multi-storey residential building collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari area on Friday afternoon, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.
The building, located in the Baghdadi locality near Lea Market, came crashing down with dozens of residents inside. Rescue officials confirmed five deaths and said eight people were pulled out alive, including three women. One of the injured, a 40-year-old woman, remains in critical condition and has been shifted to the ICU at Civil Hospital, Karachi.
Authorities said six families had been living in the building, which was around 30 to 40 years old. It had already been declared dangerous by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), with officials claiming multiple evacuation notices had been issued. However, local residents denied receiving any such warnings.
Rescue efforts were initially hampered by blocked access routes and the suspension of mobile phone signals in the area. Local volunteers and residents began digging through rubble with bare hands before heavy machinery arrived. Two adjacent buildings — one with two storeys and another with seven — have been evacuated as a precaution, after the staircase of the taller structure also collapsed.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and ordered an immediate report from the SBCA. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori directed authorities to ensure the injured receive full medical care and stressed that negligence would not be tolerated. A high-level committee has been formed to investigate the collapse and identify responsible officials within three days. Several SBCA officials have already been suspended.
According to SBCA data, 578 buildings in Karachi have been declared unsafe, with most located in District South, including Lyari.
This is a developing story.