Building collapse in Karachi kills 19, rescue operation ongoing

The death toll from a collapsed old residential building in Karachi’s Lyari area has reached 19, with rescue teams still working to clear the debris and fearing more casualties.

Deputy Commissioner South Javed Leghari reported that 19 bodies have been recovered, and six injured individuals are receiving treatment in the hospital.

Rescue teams, working since yesterday afternoon, are concerned that more bodies may be under the rubble, indicating that the number of casualties could rise further.

The five-storey building in the Baghdadi area of Lyari collapsed on Friday. Initially, seven bodies were recovered, and the injured were taken to the hospital, as stated by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab.

The building was among the dilapidated structures in Karachi's old areas. Out of 22 such buildings, 16 were vacated by authorities, while six were still occupied by residents unwilling to leave, according to Leghari.

The rescue operation is expected to continue for another 10–12 hours. Lyari, known for being congested and low-income, is one of Karachi's densely populated areas.

Earlier this week, 22 people were rescued from a collapsed portion of an old building in the Soldier Bazar area, where residents were trapped on the upper floor.

The provincial government has identified around 570 buildings in old Karachi as unsafe and urged residents to evacuate them.

According to the source: India Today.