Karachi gas explosion

Preventable tragedies have now started becoming routine in Karachi, and that is the most damning indictment of our governance. The gas explosion in Soldier Bazaar that killed at least 16 people, including eight children, is sadly the predictable outcome of a city where safety regulations exist largely on paper.

The blast occurred during Sehri in Gul Rana Colony, bringing down part of a ground-plus-two residential structure comprising small, congested rooms. Rescue officials confirmed that the building was illegal. The narrow layout of the structure made rescue operations painfully difficult, exposing yet again how urban negligence compounds disaster. But the question is not how the building collapsed.

The question is how such structures continue to exist. Karachi's informal housing crisis is no secret. Entire neighbourhoods operate without proper approvals or enforcement of building codes. Gas cylinders are stored in unsafe conditions. Substandard wiring and makeshift extensions are common. Authorities only rediscover the rulebook after bodies are pulled from rubble.

The president has rightly directed the strict enforcement of building codes and the inspection of gas cylinders. The chief minister has ordered an investigation and temporary rehabilitation. Yet Pakistanis have heard these assurances before. After every such incident, there is a familiar script that notices are taken, and inquiries are ordered. Then silence.

The deeper issue is regulatory paralysis. Who approved this building? Were gas installations ever inspected? Which municipal officials failed in their oversight? Without fixing accountability at these pressure points, investigations become rituals rather than reforms.

Karachi cannot afford governance that is reactive. Urban safety requires systematic audits and visible penalties for violations. It also requires political will to confront powerful land mafias and negligent officials alike. If safety laws are not enforced today, another neighbourhood will wake up tomorrow to grief.