At least seven injured as building collapses in Karachi's Orangi Town

The local office of the Awami National Party (ANP) near Badr Chowk in Karachi’s Orangi Town collapsed on Wednesday after an explosion, injuring at least seven people, said police.

According to West SSP Tariq Mastoi, the dilapidated building had been converted into a local office for the ANP and was not being used for residential purposes. The injured were identified as ANP workers who were inside the office at the time of the incident.

Rescue teams swiftly reached the site. They retrieved seven injured persons from the rubble and shifted them to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

According to Chhipa spokesperson Shahid Chaudhry, one of the injured was 34-year-old Latif who sustained burn injuries, while others sustained injuries from the debris.

Initial findings suggest the blast was triggered when a ceiling fan switch was turned on, igniting an explosion from a suspected gas leak. "Though the exact cause will be determined after further investigation,'' said SSP Mastoi.

CCTV footage showed a flash of fire followed by an explosion tearing through the structure and hurling debris onto the street.

The Bomb Disposal Squad and Crime Scene Unit were called immediately to the site.

Read More: Karachi’s Lyari building collapse claims 27 lives as rescue operation concludes

This incident comes a month after a five story building in Lyari collapsed killing 27 people, prompting the Sindh goverment to set up a new committee, led by the Karachi commissioner, to investigate the condition of other dilapidated buildings across the city.

Just last month the authorities had flagged over 700 buildings across Karachi as unsafe, with at least 59 deemed highly dangerous.