All 22 residents trapped in collapsed Kharadar building rescued

Roof collapse blamed on excessive load from recently installed water tank, says resident

KARACHI:

A six-storey residential building collapsed early Monday morning, near the Barra Imam bargah in Kharadar, trapping at least 22 people, according to rescue officials. However, all 22 people have now been rescued and no casualties have been reported.

The incident occurred around 7am when a portion of the building's roof collapsed onto the staircase, blocking all exits and leaving residents stranded on the upper floors.

Initial reports suggest that the collapse extended from the roof down to the fourth floor. The KMC fire department and urban search and rescue teams were mobilised, deploying a snorkel to pluck those trapped on the upper floors to safety.

However, narrow lanes and a tangle of overhead electrical, internet, and cable wires significantly hampered rescue efforts. The operation was completed in over 2.5 hours.

Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso confirmed to the Express Tribune that the building was 15 to 20 years old and had received multiple renovation notices from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) due to its precarious condition.

He said that legal action is being initiated against the builder, and the premises have been sealed. "A structural failure caused by the collapse of the roof slab brought down parts of the building's interior, including the staircase, which trapped the residents inside," Khoso explained.

Fire Officer Zafar Khan described the operation as "extremely difficult" due to the large crowds, confined spaces, and the urgency of rescuing panicked residents.

Sixteen individuals were rescued via snorkel. He added that rescuing people from the building was difficult, as all the flats were occupied by families.

A resident of the building recounted that he heard a strange noise at 5:30am, but initially saw nothing out of the ordinary. However, when he later entered his flat, the roof had collapsed from the water tank down to the lower floors.

The resident attributed the collapse to the weight of a newly installed water tank on the roof, where some construction work had recently been completed, and painting was still pending. Edhi ambulances and volunteers reached the scene and rescued nine people, including four women, according to their spokesperson.

Last week, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) identified 740 dangerously dilapidated buildings across the province - 588 of which are in Karachi - as uninhabitable due to the looming threat of structural collapse during the monsoon season.