Karachi:
After the tragic collapse of a five -story residential building in the Baghdadi area of Lyari that charged 27 lives, the authorities have launched a demolition campaign aimed at other dangerous structures in the vicinity.
The teams of the Building Control Authority of Sindh (SBCA) have begun to demolish ruins identified as dangerous. According to Building Inspector Zulfiqar Shah, two buildings are being demolished in phases after evacuation, while a survey is underway for a third structure.
Commissioner Lyari Shehryar Habib confirmed that the three buildings have been completely evacuated and temporary arrangements have been made to relocate residents displaced to community centers and schools administered by KMC. He added that it can take 10 to 15 days to completely demolish a single building.
Meanwhile, affected residents have expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s response and warned about protests if they are not compensated and provide permanent housing. They demanded clarity about the government’s plan for rehabilitation and promised to raise their concerns before the Main House of Ministers, the Governor’s House and the Sindh Assembly.
The security and rescue teams remain parked in the area to supervise the ongoing operations.
Lyari’s collapse affirms 27 lives as the rescue operation concludes
A 50 -hour long search and rescue operation in the Baghdadi area of Lyari, where a five -story residential building collapsed on Friday morning, concluded on Sunday, with 27 confirmed deaths and 10 injuries. “Twenty -seven people lost their lives in Lyari’s tragedy, while other eleven were injured. Among the deceased there are eleven women and sixteen men, including a girl of one and a half,” confirmed the administration of the Civil Hospital.
The report establishes that 26 bodies were taken to the hospital, while Fatima, 55, succumbed to her wounds during treatment.
“Of the injured, ten people were discharged after receiving medical treatment. However, Sanatia, 30, remains under treatment,” he said.
The list also pointed out that most of the injured suffered head injuries in the incident. Many of the deceased belong to the Hindu community.
According to rescue officials, the final body recovered, after 48 hours of digging through debris, was that of Muhammad Zaid, 15, found trapped near the ladder of the building. His body was transferred to the Civil Hospital for legal formalities.
Zaid’s older brother, who survived the collapse, told journalists that he had tried to get his younger brother from the building when the structure began to break but lost his grip during the escape. Tragically, Zaid, his father and two other brothers died in the collapse.
According to Rescue officer 1122 Hasnain and the volunteer of the Edhi Farooq Foundation, Zaid’s body was found in a place from which five other bodies had previously been removed. However, his was buried too deeply under the rubble to be detected immediately. After the renewed efforts of the family members, the search teams returned to the location and recovered Zaid’s body using specialized equipment.
During the operation, the cash, the checks and jewels of three separate locations were recovered and delivered to the local president of the Council of the Union.
Rescue 1122 South in charge Hameer Wahid told Express News that 95% of the debris had been authorized, and it was not believed that there are no more trapped victims.
“There are no families on the site waiting for missing people,” he said. In addition, he added that rescue operations were deliberately extended to guarantee careful recovery of the bodies. Several rickshaws and motorcycles parked under the building were also destroyed. The locals said the area under the structure was routinely used for parking.
