Dens of problems

A tragic elevator accident in Karachi highlights the city's neglect of high-rise safety and maintenance.

Karachi is a jungle of high-rises, mostly unkempt, unmaintained and unregulated – to the extent of being dangerous for the occupants. Except for a very limited number of those constructed by big developers in posh localities, residential and commercial apartment buildings across the length and breadth of the city display a sordid story of neglect and squalor. Many of them have even turned into shanties due to lack of maintenance over the years. Dens of problems literally, these high-rises are generally devoid of even basic facilities – like adequate water and power supply, fire-fighting system, cleaning and garbage disposal, car and motorcycle parking, etc – with nobody bothered about periodic maintenance checks regarding the facilities available.

No wonder such a criminal neglect at a residential apartment building in the densely populated Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighbourhood of the metropolis took the life of a 10-year-old boy. Trapped in an elevator shaft of the building, the poor boy was crushed to death in a harrowing incident last week. According to reports, a young man entered the elevator from the ground floor and pressed a button to go to the fifth floor. But just when the elevator was about to go up, two boys playing in the building rushed to stop it. And while one of the boys managed to get inside, the other one got stuck in the elevator shaft and was dragged up to the fifth floor, dying on the spot. There is little doubt that if the sensors of the elevator were working properly, the precious little life would not have met such a tragic end.

While it's primarily the responsibility of residents association of buildings to ensure regular maintenance of the available facilities, relevant government authorities must ensure keeping a proper check. It's true that the task is gigantic – given the massive number of residential and commercial complexes in the city – but at stake are human lives that are genuinely precious.