Death toll in Pakistan building collapse increases to 19

The death toll in the multi-storey building collapse here rose to 19 on Tuesday after 11 more bodies were recovered from the debris.

The residential building in Karachi’s Lyari area collapsed on Sunday night. The residents of the building said the six-storey structure collapsed with a loud “thud”, which was followed by a power outage making rescue operations difficult.

Till Monday, rescue teams had pulled out eight bodies, and on Tuesday 11 more bodies were found on the first floor of the collapsed building. Twelve people were injured in the incident.

A man, who was rescued alive from the rubble after 24 hours, died due to his injuries in the hospital, Geo TV reported.

Personnel from the Army, Rangers, police and welfare associations were engaged in the rescue operation.

The building, located in Liaquat Colony of Lyari, had more than 40 apartments and a penthouse on the top floor. The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had declared it as dangerous and unstable more than two months ago.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed regret over the loss of lives in the incident.

“I am with the affected families; we will not leave them alone in these difficult times,” Bilawal said.

This is the third major building collapse in the country’s financial capital this year. In March, 27 people were killed and scores injured when a five-storey building fell on two adjacent structures in the city’s congested Gulbahar area.

Karachi city authorities have identified over 1,500 buildings as ‘dangerous’. However, little action has been taken to evacuate them.