Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has advised citizens to verify all necessary approvals for residential buildings before purchasing flats.
CM Murad’s comments follow the recent building collapse in Karachi’s Lyari area, which resulted in at least 27 fatalities. The search and rescue operation concluded on Sunday evening after nearly three days.
“The rescue operation continued for 60 hours and is now complete,” Assistant Commissioner Shehryar Habib informed reporters on Sunday, pledging to initiate action against all structures in the area declared unsafe.
He stated, “Twenty-six bodies — including nine women, 15 men, a ten-year-old boy, and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl — were recovered from the rubble, while another person succumbed to their injuries during treatment.”
Speaking to the media in Karachi on Sunday, the chief minister announced the formation of a committee to investigate the incident. He added, “We will review the reports in tomorrow’s meeting.”
He also disclosed that a building evacuated the previous night in Agra Taj was constructed a few years ago without approval from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
The chief minister reiterated his call for citizens to confirm a building has received all required approvals before purchasing flats.
He further mentioned that the government is evaluating options for relocating residents from over 400 ‘dangerous’ buildings in the Old City Area.
Lyari Collapse Fallout: Investigations, Unsafe Structures, and Evacuation Challenges
The Sindh government has established a high-level committee to investigate the incident, with a mandate to submit its report by Monday.
The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) revealed that the collapsed structure — which housed over 40 people in 20 apartments — was 30 years old and had been previously marked unsafe.
The authority claimed it had issued formal evacuation notices two years ago, with the latest served on June 25, 2025. It stated that it had also notified K-Electric and the water board to disconnect utility services, but neither the connections were severed nor was the building vacated.
This tragic incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by buildings already declared unsafe and unfit for habitation by the SBCA. In Karachi, 578 such buildings exist, with 456 of them located solely in District South.
Other districts also face risks: Central (66), Keamari (23), Korangi (14), East (13), Malir (4), and West (2).
Even as the dust settled from Friday’s residential building collapse, another multi-storey complex in the same neighborhood was declared “unsafe,” prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders on Sunday.
In Agra Taj, police and authorities initially encountered resistance from residents, who refused to vacate the building “under any circumstances.”
“Where were the institutions when the building was being constructed?” residents questioned, demanding the provision of alternative accommodation before being asked to leave.
“We are living in this building, and we do not feel any danger,” asserted one resident.
In response, the district administration assured that affected residents would receive due compensation from the builder.
“We have offered to shift the affected residents to a school,” the District South deputy commissioner stated, urging residents to vacate the dilapidated building.
Noting that they had contacted the relevant builder, the official assured that appropriate action would be taken against him, and he would reimburse the residents.
In an effort to persuade residents to vacate the structure, authorities also demolished the water tank on the roof.
According to the police, a case has been registered against the builder at Kalri Police Station, which also names the contractor, based on the complaint of the SBCA’s assistant director.
