The death toll from Friday’s devastating building collapse in Karachi’s Lyari area has risen to 16, including three women and a child, as rescue efforts entered a second day on Saturday. Emergency teams have so far pulled nine injured survivors from the rubble, but officials fear that 25 to 30 people may still be trapped beneath the debris.
The five-storey building, located in Baghdadi, was home to six families and came down early Friday morning. Rescue teams with heavy machinery responded promptly, working around the clock to clear the wreckage and search for survivors.
Authorities revealed that the building had been declared structurally unsafe as far back as three years ago. However, residents never vacated, and no enforcement action was taken to ensure their safety. Reports suggest that each floor housed three separate apartments.
As a safety measure, two nearby buildings—one two-storey and the other seven-storey—have been evacuated, and utility lines to the collapsed structure have been disconnected to prevent further risk.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi stated the rescue operation may require up to 24 more hours, urging residents of other hazardous structures to relocate voluntarily. “We cannot force people out of their homes,” he said, while confirming that a meeting with the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has been convened to address the issue of illegal and unsafe constructions.
Deputy Commissioner South Javed Khoso added that residents of the building had been served multiple notices—in 2022, 2023, and earlier in 2024. Of the 107 dangerous buildings identified in the district, 21 are considered highly hazardous, with 14 already vacated, he said. However, he cautioned against placing blame prematurely, noting that investigations are still underway.
The incident highlights long-standing issues of enforcement failure and urban safety risks in Karachi’s aging residential zones.
