KARACHI: The death toll from a five-storey building collapse in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi rose to 18 on Saturday, officials said, after rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble.
The Fotan Mansion residential building, where several families were said to be living, crumbled around 10am on Friday in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of the city.
Rescue workers, along with residents of the area, worked through the night to find survivors and bodies after the incident, which has once again laid bare the issue of unsafe housing in Karachi.
“With two more bodies recovered from the debris, the death toll from the building collapse has risen to 18,” Dr. Summayia Syed, the Karachi police surgeon, told Arab News on Saturday evening.
“The victims have been identified as Rohit, 30, and his wife, Geeta, 24.”
Families wait amidst the debris of a collapsed building in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (AFP)
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the rescue operation was still ongoing at the site of the collapse.
Many of the occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community and residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when the building collapsed.
According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe three years ago.
“This building was declared dangerous by the SBCA in 2022 and had been served multiple notices over the years,” SBCA spokesperson Shakeel Dogar told Arab News.
A neighbour narrates what he witnessed whilst a building collapsed in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (AFP)
“Before the recent rains, public announcements were also made in the area, but unfortunately, no one was willing to vacate.”
Friday’s incident is the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in Karachi.
In February 2020, a five-storey building collapsed in Rizvia Society, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure came down in Gulbahar, claiming 16 lives. In June 2021, a three-storey building in Malir collapsed, killing four. And just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi led to at least three deaths.
Dev Raj waits for recovery of his daughter who is stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (AFP)
Mayor Wahab said on Friday evening that rescue efforts remained their top priority, with accountability and investigation to follow.
“Once we’re done with the rescue aspect, we will focus on who was responsible for this negligence or omission,” he added.
A rescue worker is pictured during a search operation amidst the debris of a collapsed building in Karachi on July 5, 2025. (AFP)
