Search Continues as 16 Killed in Karachi Building Collapse

KARACHI, 5 July 2025 (BSS/AFP): Rescue efforts continued under blistering heat and suffocating humidity on Saturday in the Pakistani city of Karachi, as emergency teams searched for survivors trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed residential building that has claimed at least 16 lives.

The tragedy unfolded around 10:00 am on Friday in the Lyari district—one of the city’s most impoverished and densely populated neighbourhoods, historically known for gang violence and insecurity. Residents reported hearing ominous cracking sounds moments before the five-storey structure gave way.

Police surgeon Dr Summiaya Syed, speaking on behalf of the provincial health department, confirmed that 16 people had died while 13 others sustained injuries. Authorities fear the death toll may rise as at least eight individuals are still believed to be buried beneath the debris.

Among those grieving at the scene was 54-year-old Dev Raj. “My daughter is under the rubble,” he told AFP. “She was my beloved. Sensitive and caring. She was only married six months ago.”

Ignored Warnings and Disputed Notices

District officials claimed that the building had been marked as unsafe for over three years, with formal eviction notices issued in 2022, 2023, and again in 2024.

“We operate in phases—we issue notices asking residents to vacate,” said senior district official Javed Nabi Khoso. “We do not wish to enforce evacuations by force. Unfortunately, those notices were not taken seriously.”

However, residents and landlords at the scene disputed the claims. “We were never informed,” said Imran Khaskheli, a co-owner and tenant of the building. “Do you think we’d stay here with our families if we had been warned?”

Khaskheli added that he noticed structural cracks in the pillars early Friday morning and tried to alert others. “I knocked on every door, urging families to leave. But many didn’t listen.” He estimates that around 40 families were living in the building at the time.

Authorities have since declared more than 50 buildings in the district as structurally unsafe. Six have been evacuated since the collapse.

‘Nothing Left for Me’

Rescue workers, including personnel from the government’s 1122 emergency service, toiled through the night and into Saturday evening, as hopes of finding survivors began to dwindle.

“We expect the operation to continue well into tonight,” said rescue leader Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh.

Many of the victims are believed to be women, typically at home during the day. Among them, 70-year-old Jumho Maheshwari’s entire family was in their first-floor flat when he left for work on Friday.

“Now, nothing is left,” he said. “My whole family is trapped. All I can do is pray.”

Fellow resident Maya Sham Jee expressed similar despair. “My brother’s entire family is under the rubble. This has changed our world. We are helpless and can only hope the rescuers bring our loved ones out alive.”

Tragic Warnings Unheeded

Some residents attempted to flee in time. Shankar Kamho, aged 30, was out when his wife phoned in distress. “She told me the building was cracking,” he said. “I told her to get out immediately.”

His wife attempted to warn others, but was dismissed by at least one neighbour. “One woman told her, ‘This building will stand for another 10 years’,” Kamho recalled.

Thankfully, his wife and daughter made it out just 20 minutes before the collapse.