- 27 Death in Lyari’s Bhangdadi area building collapse.
- Govt announces crashes against unsuitable buildings.
- Another three buildings in the area declared dangerous.
Sindh Minister of Chief Murad Ali Shah has called on citizens to check if housing buildings have obtained all necessary approvals before buying apartments.
Cm Murad’s remarks came after the recent building collapse in Karachi’s Lyari area left at least 27 people died. The search and rescue operation was completed after almost three days Sunday night.
“The rescue operation continued for 60 hours and is now completed,” Assistant Commissioner Shehryar Habib told journalists on Sunday, promising to launch an operation against all buildings declared unsuitable in the area.
“Twenty-six bodies-inclusive nine women, 15 men and a ten-year-old boy and one and a half-year-old girl-been recovered from the rubble, while another person succumbed to their wounds during treatment,” he said.
In a speech with the media in Karachi on Sunday, the minister said a committee has been set up to investigate the incident. “We will review the reports at tomorrow’s meeting,” he added.
He also revealed that the building evacuated last night in Agra Taj was constructed a few years ago without the approval of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
The Minister of Ministry urged citizens to check if a building has received all necessary approvals before they purchased apartments.
He also said the government is undergoing opportunities to move residents in over 400 ‘dangerous’ buildings in the old urban area.
The committee was formed
The Sindh government formed a high-level committee to investigate the incident, which is tasked with submitting a report by Monday.
Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) revealed that the collapsed structure – which housed over 40 people in 20 apartments – was 30 years old and had previously been marked unsafe.
The authority claimed that it had issued formal evacuation messages two years ago and the latest was served on June 25, 2025. It said it had also sent messages to K-electric and the Water Board to interrupt the supply services-but neither the connections were cut or the building was released.
The incident also sheds light on the existing threat, such as buildings that have already been declared unsafe and unsuitable for resident of SBCA. The number of such buildings is 578 in Karachi, where 456 of them are in the district of south alone.
Other districts also face risk: Central (66), Keamari (23), Korangi (14), East (13), Malir (4) and West (2).
Another building declared uncertain
While the dust from Friday’s collapse of the housing building had not settled down, another multi-store’s complex in the same neighborhood was declared “uncertain”, causing authorities to issue evacuation orders on Sunday.
In Agra Taj, the police and the authorities were originally facing opposition from the residents who had in any case refused to evacuate the building. “
“Where were the institutions when the building was constructed?” Residents questioned and called for the delivery of alternative accommodation before being asked to leave the building.
“We live in this building and we don’t feel any danger,” said one of the residents of the building.
In response, the district administration assured that the affected residents would be duly compensated by the developer.
“We have offered to move the affected residents to a school,” said the South Deputy Commissioner district while calling on residents to leave the fallen building.
Note that they had contacted the relevant builder, the official assured that proper action would be taken against him and that he would pay back the residents.
The authorities, in their attempt to persuade residents to leave the structure, also torn the water tank on the roof.
According to police, a case has been registered against the developer at Kalri Police Station, who also names the contractor on the complaint of SBCA’s assistant director.
