Security guard killed as under-construction bridge structure collapses in Gulshan-e-Iqbal

Bridge structure was part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project

KARACHI:

An under-construction bridge structure on Thursday that was part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project collapsed near Bait-ul-Mukarram Mosque in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, killing a security guard.

The deceased was deployed at the construction site. His identity has yet to be ascertained. The body was shifted to a hospital for medico-legal formalities.

The rescue operation was completed and rescue teams subsequently left the site.

The road from Civic Centre towards NIPA has been temporarily closed to traffic due to debris from the collapsed structure and repair work at the site.

The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has begun work on a section of the BRT Red Line project. After the contractor for Lot 2- from Mosamiyat to Hasan Square- was stopped from working and their office was sealed, this portion of the project was handed over to FWO, who deployed machinery and staff at the site.

In the first phase, the FWO will repair the roads connected to the BRT project that are currently in the use as alternative routes for traffic. The organisation has also placed banners and panaflex signs along the Mosamiyat to Hasan Square section, apologising to the public for the inconvenience caused by the construction work.

Read: BRT deadline fatigue

While FWO is carrying out construction, drug addicts are reportedly damaging the project in broad daylight. Carrying bags on their shoulders, these individuals appear to be waste pickers, but in reality, they are cutting and stealing iron and wiring used in the project.

In the past, security guards were deployed to prevent such thefts, and it is expected that FWO would devise an effective strategy to curb these incidents.

Resumption of project brings joy to citizens

After remaining a source of frustration for citizens for years, the Sindh government has finally resumed work on the long-delayed Red Line project in Karachi. The sight of heavy machinery and labour activity along University Road surprised and pleased residents.

The Red Line project, one of the largest development schemes in Karachi's history, had turned into a major hardship for commuters. A team from The Express Tribune visited the stretch from Numaish Chowrangi to Mosamiyat and observed active construction work for the first time in over four and a half years.

Heavy machinery and a large workforce were seen operating simultaneously at multiple points. At New MA Jinnah Road, construction activity was visible with machinery and labour working side by side. Near New Town police station, road leveling was underway using heavy equipment, while workers were engaged in clearing debris.

Cement barriers that were previously scattered across different points, causing traffic disruption, were also being removed and repositioned, improving traffic flow. Similar activity was observed near Bait-ul-Mukarram Mosque, Mazaar-e-Quaid vicinity, and at Nipa Chowrangi, where drainage work was underway. Other sections of the route also showed visible construction progress.

The 24-kilometre-long Red Line project on University Road began in 2022 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2024. However, it faced repeated delays, negligence, and mismanagement, leaving the project stalled for years.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, citizens expressed hope that with work restarting, the project would now be completed within the promised timeframe.

University Road project to be completed within two months

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Sunday, while speaking to the media, that work on University Road was nearing completion, announcing that the entire project would be completed within two months. “Now we can say University Road has been built.”

Sharjeel announced while inaugurating the Mosamiyat Flyover, a key component of the Red Line BRT project. Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani and Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad were also present at the inauguration.

Memon said work on University Road had reached the final stages and that the difficulties faced by commuters had largely been overcome. He said the Sindh government was working round the clock for Karachi’s development, with different departments engaged in infrastructure and other development projects across the city.

“Those who say that no work is being done in Karachi, I want to tell them that work is taking place,” he said. The senior minister said Karachi’s size brought challenges on an equally large scale, but maintained that the city was also home to the country’s best healthcare system.

On the Red Line project, Sharjeel said the Mosamiyat Flyover was an important part of the corridor and would soon be available for public use after the necessary formalities. Work on stations and other components of the BRT was also progressing, he added.

He acknowledged the delay in the project and apologised to the residents, saying several issues had contributed to the delays. Despite increases in the cost of the dollar, cement and petrol, he said, work had continued.