Karachi building collapse toll rises to 16

Three other buildings are damaged in the area following the incident

KARACHI: The toll of the building collapse in Karachi's Rizvia Society on Friday reached 16.

Officials had struggled to reach the incident site as narrow lanes hampered the rescue effort as people were left trapped under the rubble.

An FIR, citing negligence, damage to private and public property and deaths due to the incident was lodged in the presence of area representatives at the local police station.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

Three women and just as many children are among the dead, with at least 25 injured. Some of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

 

PHOTO: EXPRESS

The collapsed building left the adjoining building bent and it is feared that it may collapse, while several parts of a third building have also collapsed. Additionally, a fourth building has been declared 'dangerous' by the authorities.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

According to the residents, the building is owned by Jamal Fatima, a lady, who had erected a five-storey building on weak foundations on a 74-square yard area. A penthouse had also been built a few months ago on its sixth floor.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

Taking notice of the incident, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Ali Shallwani to ensure people are safely recovered from the rubble. The chief minister also sought a detailed report, questioning whether the building was a legal construction.

In another incident, at least one person died and 11 people were injured after a balcony of a residential building, Abdullah Centre, collapsed in Federal B Area Block 16 located within the jurisdiction of Yousuf Plaza police station.

The deceased was a factory worker and a resident of Federal B Area.

In January, the city administration directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to vacate the 382 residential buildings declared ‘dangerous’.

The majority of the earmarked buildings are located in Saddar, where 295 residential buildings have been declared dangerous. Meanwhile, 44 buildings are in Lyari. Out of the 382 dangerous buildings, 339 were located in South district, 14 in East district and 10 in Central district.

SBCA official Askhar Dawar lamented that evacuation notices had been served to the buildings’ owners but they were not implementing the orders of the building control authority.