Pakistan: 19 people die in Karachi building collapse, Commissioner blames residents

At least 19 people were reportedly died after an old residential building collapsed in Karachi district of Pakistan on Saturday.

The five-storey building in the Baghdadi area of Lyari collapsed on Friday.

Rescue efforts are underway with teams fearing the casualties could rise further as they clear the debris.

According to authorities, an adjacent building was also damaged in the collapse.

Deputy Commissioner-South Javed Leghari said that the rescue teams had recovered 19 bodies so far while six injured were being treated in hospital, according to news agency PTI.

“Unfortunately, rescue teams who have been working since yesterday afternoon fear there are more bodies under the debris and rubble of the building and the casualties will increase,” he added.

The rescue officials reported that nine individuals, including five women, have been rescued in injured condition and are being treated, as per ARY News.

Lyari is Karachi's one of the most congested low-lying and low income areas.

The old structure was on the list of dilapidated buildings in the old Karachi.

There were 22 old buildings out of which 16 had been vacated by the authorities but six still remained occupied by residents who didn't want to leave, Leghari said.

Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, who visited the site after the lapse of 13 hours, said that the primary responsibility for the recent tragedy lies with those residing in unsafe buildings. He said that the Sindh Building Control Authority had previously issued notices regarding the collapsed structure.

He urged residents to prioritize the safety of themselves and their families, emphasizing that forcibly evicting people from their homes is an undesirable task, and the administration has no intention of doing so.

Earlier this week, 22 people had been rescued from an old building in the Soldier Bazar area when a portion of it collapsed leaving residents trapped on the upper floor.

The provincial government has declared some 570 buildings in the old Karachi areas as dangerous and asked residents to evacuate them.