• Officials say five-storey complex in Lyari housed around 100 people, had already been declared ‘dangerous’
• Rescue efforts hampered by suspension of cellular services
• Karachi mayor stresses need to evacuate hundreds of dilapidated buildings across the metropolis
KARACHI: At least 10 people lost their lives after a high-rise building collapsed in Lyari on Friday, with many more feared to be buried under the rubble, according to officials and witnesses.
The five-storey building on Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market had already been declared uninhabitable by authorities due to its dilapidated structure, which was further weakened by recent rains, DIG South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.
Nine bodies and eight injured were brought to the Civil Hospital, the executive director of the hospital’s trauma centre told Dawn.
There were three women among the deceased, Dr Sabir Memon added.
The deceased were identified as Fatima Babu, 55; Prem, 32; Waseem Babu, 35; Hoor Bai Kishan, 55; Prantic Arsi, 21; Sunita Daya, 35; Daya Lal, 40; Wanda Kelash, 13; Arshna Vishal, 24; and Kishan Daya Lal, 72.
The injured were identified as Yusuf Subhan, 50; Rashid Aziz, 25; Chanda Lal, 30; Sanita Chaitan, 30; Kishna Das, 17; Mujeeb Ali, 29; Roshan Islam, 32; and three-month-old Bhabna Rohit.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn the victims sustained crush injuries to the chest and head.
The death toll is expected to rise further, as rescue teams were clearing the debris in search of people late into the night.
Heavy machinery faced difficulty in reaching the site amid the narrow alleys of Lyari, a low-income neighbourhood.
Police even had to baton-charge a crowd that had gathered around the site to make way for machinery, officials added.
The rescue operation was also hampered by the suspension of cellular services for security reasons during the Muharram procession.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn the incident had reportedly occurred between 9 and 9:30am. However, they said they received the information late due to the suspension of communication networks, he added.
According to DIG Raza, the building named Gada Palace was constructed on a 200-square-yard plot, with four apartments on each floor.
Mr Khan, the Rescue 1122 spokesperson, said there were shops on the ground floor of the building.
Two pillars of the building collapsed early in the morning, around 4am, but the building was still standing, he added.
Although residents evacuated at the time, they later returned to their homes. A few hours later, the entire building collapsed.
A police official told AFP that up to 100 people had been living in the building.
The head of Rescue 1122, DG Dr Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh, said that over 100 personnel, five disaster response vehicles, two snorkels and cranes, took part in the rescue operation. DIG Raza said there were reports that at least 20 to 25 people were still buried under the debris.
Meanwhile, relatives whose loved ones are still missing were clinging to hope for their survival.
All six members of 70-year-old Jumho Maheshwari’s family were at his flat on the first floor when he left for work early in the morning. “Nothing is left for me now — my family is all trapped and all I can do is pray for their safe recovery,” he told AFP.
Another resident, Maya Sham Jee, said her brother’s family was also trapped under the rubble. “We are helpless and just looking at the rescue workers to bring our loved ones back safely,” she said.
Multiple notices
Speaking to reporters at the site of the incident, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the government needed to “take action” as there were around 434 buildings in the Old City area that had been declared “dangerous” by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
In a statement, the authority put the number of such buildings across Karachi at 588, Dawn.com reported. It added the building was declared dangerous after a thorough inspection in October 2022.
The first ejectment notice was issued to residents on June 2, 2023, followed by a second notice on February 28, 2024, and a third notice with a three-day warning to evacuate the building. Public utilities were asked to disconnect services to the building in June 2024, but they didn’t follow the directives, SBCA claimed.
A reminder for ejectment was issued on June 2 with copies sent to the South deputy and assistant commissioners and the Kalari station house officer, requesting their intervention to evacuate the premises and prevent any potential incident.
On June 29, the residents were warned via megaphones to evacuate the building immediately.
“Regrettably, the residents were reluctant to vacate the building unless alternate accommodation was provided.”
SBCA officials suspended
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, who visited the site, has formed a committee to investigate the incident and report within three days.
The minister also suspended officials of the SBCA over their alleged negligence. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has sought a report about the incident.
He directed the SBCA to identify dilapidated buildings in the metropolis and evacuate them.
With input from AFP
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025