Rescue teams in Pakistan continued to search for survivors on Saturday after a six-storey residential building collapsed in Karachi's Lyari neighbourhood, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others, according to local officials.
The building came down around 10am on Friday in the Baghdadi area of Lyari, a densely populated and impoverished part of the city. Residents said they heard cracking sounds shortly before the collapse. Rescue workers, battling high heat and humidity, have been working through the night. At least eight people are still believed to be trapped under the debris.
Summiaya Syed, a police surgeon with the provincial health department, confirmed the death toll at 16 and said 13 others had been injured.
Incident left families devastatedDev Raj, 54, told AFP his daughter was still under the rubble. "She was my beloved daughter. She was so sensitive, but is under the burden of debris. She got married just six months ago," he said.
Another resident, Jumho Maheshwari, said his entire family of six was trapped inside their first-floor apartment. "Nothing is left for me now," he said.
Maya Sham Jee, whose brother's family is still missing, called it a tragedy. "We are helpless and just looking at the rescue workers to bring our loved ones back safely."
Ignored warnings and official blame gameAuthorities said the building had been declared unsafe and that eviction notices were sent out in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Javed Nabi Khoso, a senior district government official, said, "We don't want to impose our orders by force. We work in phases and send them notices to leave the building. They didn't take the notices seriously."
The building had long been declared "dangerous" by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), which claimed that repeated eviction notices had been issued, according to ARY News.
Locals, however, disputed the SBCA's claims, alleging that no such formal warnings were communicated.
Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, who visited the site after 13 hours, laid blame on residents who continued living in unsafe structures.
SBCA data reveals that Karachi currently has 578 buildings marked as unsafe, with District South holding the highest number of structurally compromised structures.
Officials also confirmed that an adjacent building to the one that collapsed has suffered structural damage and is now under observation.
'Out of senses?'However, Imran Khaskheli, a building owner and resident, denied receiving any notice. "Do you think we are out of our senses to stay in an unsafe building with our families?" he asked. He said he noticed cracks in the pillars early Friday and warned families to evacuate. "Many did not heed my warning," he said, adding that about 40 families lived in the building.
Shankar Kamho, 30, said his wife called him when she noticed the cracks. "I told her to get out immediately," he said. His wife warned the neighbours, but one woman reportedly replied, "This building will stand for at least 10 more years". Still, his wife and daughter left in time, just 20 minutes before the collapse.
According to officials, more than 50 buildings in the district have been declared unsafe. Six were evacuated after Friday's collapse.