At least five people died and seven were injured after a five-storey building collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari area on Friday, hospital officials said.
Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that five bodies have been brought to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
Four men, two women and a teenage girl were injured, according to a list of patients issued by CHK’s Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma (SMBBIT).
However, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, citing “reliable reports”, said seven people had lost their lives while eight others were rescued.
Today’s incident comes days after a portion of a building collapsed in the city’s Kharadar area. However, no casualties or injuries were reported.
The Public Account Committee of the Sindh Assembly had directed the provincial government in December to take urgent steps to evacuate over 570 buildings declared “dangerous” by authorities across Karachi.
Rescue efforts were underway at the building situated on Fida Hussain Shaikha Road in Lyari’s Baghdadi neighbourhood, according to a statement from the Baghdadi police.
Pakistan Rangers, in a statement, said its personnel were also assisting in the rescue operations and “engaged in rescuing individuals trapped under the rubble”.
Speaking to reporters at the site of the incident, Wahab said: “According to the reliable reports so far, seven people have [lost their lives], whose bodies have been taken to the hospital, and we have succeeded in saving eight people.”
The mayor said the government needed to “take action”, noting that there were around 434 buildings in the Old City area that had been declared “dangerous” by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
“We have two options: to convince people to move out or force them to evacuate,” Wahab said, adding that any government tries not to take any forced action but to convince people.
“This loss of lives today shows that when the state or the government tells you anything, you should follow it.”
The mayor requested the inhabitants of such dilapidated buildings to evacuate as soon as possible to prevent any unpleasant incident and loss of life or property.
The deceased included three men and two women, according to the list issued by SMBBIT. Five of the wounded had “minor injuries”, SMBBIT Executive Director Dr Muhammad Sabir Memon told Dawn.com earlier today.
The casualties included Fatima Babu and Hoor Bai — both aged 55 years — 21-year-old Prantic Arsi, 32-year-old Prem and 35-year-old Waseem Babu.
The injured were listed as 17-year-old Kishna Jumna Das, 25-year-old Rashid Aziz, 29-year-old Mujeeb Ali, 30-year-old Santia Chaitan and Chanda Jumma Lal, 45-year-old Ghulam Hussain, and 50-year-old Yousaf Subhan.
Saad Edhi of the Edhi Foundation described the structure to AFP as a “worn-out building”.
Police official Arif Aziz told AFP that up to 100 people had been living in the building.
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani lamented that residents did not evacuate the building despite being served notices previously due to the unsafe conditions of the run-down structure.
Speaking to reporters at the site of the incident, Ghani said: “Not one but many notices were given to them (residents) to evacuate the building. But I can also understand the citizens’ struggle.
“[…] On the one hand is your home in which you are residing, [but] on the other hand is your life,” he added, urging residents of other dilapidated structures to evacuate to avoid any disaster.
“If we forcibly make them evacuate, then also a humanitarian aspect comes forward, and we have to become a target of criticism for it,” the minister stressed.
Taking notice of the incident in a statement, Ghani ordered the top officials of the relevant authorities, including the SBCA, to reach the site of the incident to monitor the rescue efforts.
“A report on the causes of the building collapse and all its reasons should be submitted immediately,” he said in the statement issued by his media consultant, Zubair Memon.
“All obstacles around the building should be removed to speed up the rescue operation,” Ghani added.
In April, a 10-year-old girl died when a three-storey building in Bhains Colony suddenly collapsed, while a man and a woman were pulled alive from the debris.
Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and the use of shoddy construction materials.
But Karachi, home to more than 20m, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding and lax enforcement of building regulations.
Over 100 personnel at site: Rescue 1122
Sindh Rescue 1122 Director General (DG) Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh, in a statement, said the service’s Central Command and Control centre received an alert of the incident at 10:53am.
“As soon as the alert was received, the Urban Search and Rescue team, along with a disaster-response vehicle (DRV), immediately reached the site of the incident,” the Rescue 1122 DG asserted.
He detailed that over 100 rescue personnel, five DRVs, two snorkels and multiple ambulances were present at the building’s location. Cranes and lifters have also been dispatched to the site, DG Shaikh added.
He explained that there were hindrances during the rescue operation due to the “unruly crowd, various road blockades and mobile network [issues]”.
Mobile services are usually suspended in certain areas due to security concerns during Muharram.
The Rescue 1122 head affirmed that the operation would continue till the site was “cleared”.
Sindh CM seeks report
Taking notice of the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed that rescue teams immediately rescue those trapped under the rubble, while immediate medical assistance be provided to the injured.
“This is an unfortunate incident; concerned authorities should submit an immediate report,” CM Murad was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson Abdul Rashid Channa.
CM Murad also sought details of dilapidated buildings in Karachi from the SBCA.
“Dangerous buildings should be identified immediately and practical steps should be taken to protect citizens,” CM Murad said. “Negligence will not be tolerated; protection of human lives is the top priority.”
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori expressed his grief over the incident and ordered rescue authorities to conduct “immediate, effective, and coordinated relief operations”.
In a statement, he directed that all available resources be employed to safely rescue those trapped under the rubble, and that “every possible facility” be provided to the affected families.
“Any kind of neglect or carelessness will be intolerable,” Tessori warned.
President, PM stress preventing such future incidents
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the incident, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
In separate statements, the president and the premier offered their “heartfelt condolences and sympathies” to the family members of those who lost their lives.
Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured, President Zardari directed the Sindh government to expedite the relief efforts and immediately rescue those trapped under the debris.
The president also ordered that the causes of the incident be determined immediately and that effective measures be implemented to prevent such incidents in the future.
PM Shehbaz also issued directives that all possible medical facilities be provided to the injured.
“Such incidents must be prevented in the future by formulating a strategy on a priority basis,” the prime minister stressed.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of the PPP that governs Sindh, conveyed his condolences to the aggrieved families and wished the injured a quick recovery.
“I assure [the public] that the Sindh government will provide all assistance [needed],” Bilawal said in a statement shared by his party.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah also expressed their condolences.
Sindh Assembly Syed Awais Qadir Shah, in a statement, highlighted that immediate action must be taken to identify dilapidated buildings and ensure public safety.
Sardar Abdulrahim, information secretary of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), said that further loss of lives could have been avoided if the rescue machinery had reached the site on time.
“A fair of illegal buildings has been set up in the city due to the [Sindh] government’s incompetence,” the GDA leader said.
He demanded that the families of the injured and wounded be provided with financial assistance, that alternate accommodation be arranged for the affected people, and that a case be filed against those responsible for the loss of precious lives.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
Additional input from AFP
