Three-storey building collapses

Owner claims excavation on adjacent plot caused the incident

KARACHI:

A three-storey building in Bizerta Lines collapsed causing damages to the adjoining building, part of which also collapsed.

A woman suffered minor injuries in the incident while a minivan parked near the building was also destroyed.

The building collapsed near the Military Cemetery, Chandni Chowk, Bizerta Line behind the Gora Qabrastan in Saddar area.

Police, Rangers and Edhi's volunteers rushed to the spot and carried out the rescue operation.

The injured woman was shifted to Jinnah Hospital.

Akhtar, the owner of the affected building, said adjacent to his building, a several feet deep water storage tank was being built near the military cemetery under the supervision of a cantonment board engineers.

He said, when excavation work for the water tank was started, he warned the workers and officials at the site that his building might collapse if they dig deep.

However, these workers told Akhtar that the engineer was getting the digging done under his own supervision.

He said that two days ago, when a deep ditch was dug, he felt the ground of his house shaking.

That day, part of the cemetery wall also collapsed. However, the workers did not stop digging and on the night between Monday and Tuesday, his building collapsed with an explosion.

Meanwhile, a wall of the third floor of a three-storey building belonging to a man named Yaseen also collapsed due to the collapse of Akhtar's building and cracks also appeared in his building.

Akhtar's daughter-in-law Parveen, who was injured, is said to be out of danger.

Akhtar, fearing damage or collapse to his building, had shifted to another building nearby.

At the time of the incident, his son and daughter-in-law had come to collect some goods from the affected building when the building collapsed. Fortunately, his son, other family members and the area people remained safe, he said.

Residents of the area have demanded of the Sindh government and the cantonment board officials to provide financial compensation to those whose houses have been damaged. The injured woman should also be compensated for her treatment and investigations should be carried out against the engineers whose negligence has caused the collapse