KARACHI: The death toll from a five-story building collapse in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi has risen to 27, a police surgeon confirmed on Sunday after rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble.
Pakistan’s leading rescue emergency services, including Rescue 1122, continued to recover bodies from the Fotan Mansion residential building. Several families were said to be living in the building, which crumbled around 10 am on Friday in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of the city.
The building collapse has once again laid bare the issue of unsafe housing in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city by population.
“With more bodies recovered from the debris this morning, the death toll has risen further,” Dr. Summaiya Syed, a police surgeon, told Arab News. “So far, we have received 27 bodies.”
Hasaan Khaan, a spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 services, said most of the debris has been cleared at the site.
“Clearance and the final search operation is now underway and will be completed in the next couple of hours,” Khan said.
‘DANGEROUS’ BUILDING
Many of the building 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 on Saturday.
“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-story 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-story building in Malir collapsed, killing four. And just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi led to at least three deaths.
Mayor Wahab said on Friday evening that rescue efforts remained the city government’s 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.
