Lyari Building Collapse Raises Alarm Over Safety

Two women lost their lives and three others were injured on Thursday when part of a six-storey building collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari area. This marks the second such incident in the neighborhood this month, raising urgent concerns about unsafe buildings in the city’s older districts.

Collapse in Khadda Market

The tragedy unfolded near Khadda Market, close to Bilal Masjid and Peshawari Hotel. According to rescue officials, the sixth floor of Ghani Mansion gave way, crashing down onto the fifth and fourth floors. The chain reaction of the collapse left residents trapped under debris.

Rescue 1122 and other emergency teams quickly arrived at the scene. Police cordoned off the area to support rescue efforts. Operations are still underway to ensure all residents are accounted for.

DIG South Syed Asad Raza confirmed that the deceased women were residents of the building. Their three daughters were injured and shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi. One of the deceased, identified as 45-year-old Hurmat Rafiq, was confirmed by Edhi Foundation. The second woman’s identity remains unknown.

Injuries and Ongoing Treatment

All five victims lived in the collapsed building. The injured are receiving treatment at Civil Hospital. Medical staff are monitoring their conditions, while authorities investigate the structural failure and examine the surrounding buildings for potential risk.

Second Collapse in a Month

Earlier this month, a five-storey residential building collapsed in Lyari’s Baghdadi area. That incident left 27 dead and 10 injured, including men, women, and a toddler. Rescue operations lasted nearly 50 hours as emergency responders combed through debris for survivors.

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These back-to-back tragedies highlight growing fears about the structural integrity of aging buildings in Karachi. In response, the Sindh government ordered an urgent reassessment of at-risk structures across the province.

Official Response and Survey Launch

A special meeting, chaired by Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, reviewed the city’s building safety crisis. Officials identified 588 deteriorating structures in Karachi. Of these, 59 were labeled “extremely dangerous,” and 29 have already been vacated. Over 70 more unsafe buildings were added to the list during an ongoing re-evaluation process.

To manage the crisis, district-level committees have been formed. These teams include representatives from the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), and the Council of Architects and Town Planners. Their task is to carry out technical assessments and issue recommendations for each building surveyed.

Negligence and the Way Forward

Residents have expressed frustration over the slow pace of enforcement and poor monitoring by regulatory bodies. Several structures previously marked as dangerous were still occupied, reflecting gaps in implementation and communication between departments.

The repeated collapses have sparked calls for stricter building codes, regular inspections, and swift demolition of unsafe buildings. Citizens and civil rights groups are demanding a transparent action plan and accountability for lapses that led to preventable deaths.

Urban safety experts warn that without immediate steps to repair, reinforce, or remove dangerous structures, such tragedies may become more frequent. In high-density neighborhoods like Lyari, where multi-storey buildings are common and often overcrowded, the risk of further collapses looms large.

Urgent Call for Building Safety Reform

As Karachi continues to expand, the city’s aging infrastructure is showing signs of strain. Officials now face pressure to prioritize long-overdue building safety reforms. Without urgent action, the cost may be measured not only in property loss but in more innocent lives.

The latest Lyari building collapse has intensified concerns over Karachi’s aging structures. Authorities now face mounting pressure to accelerate inspections, enforce regulations, and prevent further tragedies, especially in densely populated areas where illegal construction and poor maintenance remain widespread issue.