KARACHI: A six-storey residential building in Kharadar, near Barra Imam Bargah, collapsed early Monday morning, trapping at least 22 residents. Fortunately, all were safely rescued without any reported casualties, according to rescue teams.
The collapse took place around 7 am when part of the roof gave way and fell onto the staircase, blocking all escape routes and leaving residents stuck on the upper levels. Reports indicate that the damage stretched from the rooftop down to the fourth floor.
Emergency teams, including the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fire brigade and urban rescue units, responded quickly.
Using a tube, they lifted stranded individuals from the top floors. The operation, however, was slowed by the area’s narrow streets and a maze of overhead wires, taking more than two and a half hours to complete.
Deputy Commissioner South, Javed Nabi Khoso, told The Express Tribune that the building was approximately 15 to 20 years old and had been served several renovation warnings by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) due to its deteriorating condition.
“A structural failure caused by the collapse of the roof slab brought down parts of the building’s interior, including the staircase, which trapped the residents inside,” he stated, adding that legal action is underway against the builder and the site has been sealed.
Fire Officer Zafar Khan called the rescue “extremely difficult,” pointing to the overcrowded streets and panic among residents.
Sixteen individuals were pulled out using the tube, while others were rescued with help from Edhi Foundation volunteers and ambulances. Edhi confirmed rescuing nine people, including four women.
A resident recounted hearing an unusual sound around 5:30am but didn’t realize anything was wrong until later, when he returned to find the roof had collapsed.
He blamed the incident on a recently installed water tank on the roof, which had added excessive weight. Some renovation work was reportedly ongoing, though incomplete.
Just last week, the SBCA flagged 740 buildings across Sindh,588 of them in Karachi, as unsafe, particularly with the monsoon season raising the risk of further collapses.