Karachi Tragedy: 8 Killed, 8 Injured as Six-Storey Building Collapses in Lyari
KARACHI – At least eight people lost their lives and eight others, including three women, sustained injuries when a six-storey residential building collapsed in the Lyari area of Karachi on Friday morning.
The incident occurred around 10:10 am PST (0510 GMT), causing panic in the Lee Market vicinity. Rescue teams and local residents sprang into action to retrieve those trapped beneath the rubble. However, authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of individuals still buried under the debris.
According to Senior Police Official Arif Aziz, up to 100 people were believed to be living in the building at the time of collapse. He confirmed the retrieval of eight deceased and eight injured individuals.
Saad Edhi, from the Edhi Foundation leading the rescue efforts, described the building as “worn-out” and warned that 8 to 10 more people may still be trapped inside.
The injured and deceased were promptly transported to Civil Hospital, where an emergency was declared at the Benazir Trauma Centre to manage the crisis.
In response to the incident, Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani announced the formation of a high-level inquiry committee, which has been tasked with submitting its findings within three days. He also ordered the immediate suspension of officials from the building control department.
Chief Minister Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, expressed sorrow over the tragedy and took notice of the situation. He directed rescue teams to accelerate operations and provide timely medical aid. The Chief Minister also demanded a detailed report from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on dilapidated structures across the city.
He emphasized that negligence will not be tolerated, stating that ensuring the safety of citizens is the government’s top priority.
Karachi, a city of over 20 million, frequently faces such structural disasters due to substandard construction practices, illegal building extensions, aging infrastructure, and weak regulatory enforcement.
