From Warning to Wreckage: Lyari Building Collapse Was Foretold

On July 4, 2025, a five-storey residential building in Karachi’s Baghdadi area of Lyari collapsed, claiming at least 16 lives and leaving 20 people trapped under debris. Rescue operations, involving Rescue 1122, Edhi Foundation, and local volunteers, continue to search for survivors in the 40-year-old structure, which housed around 100 residents. Nine survivors, including five women, have been rescued, with three in critical condition at the SMBB Trauma Centre.

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had flagged the building as hazardous since October 2022, issuing multiple evacuation notices, the latest on June 2, 2025. Despite these warnings, residents resisted vacating, citing a lack of alternative housing. The SBCA has identified 578 unsafe buildings in Karachi, with 456 in District South, including 107 in Lyari alone. This tragedy highlights a systemic issue: illegal constructions, substandard materials, and lax enforcement of building regulations in Karachi, a city of over 20 million.

Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of chaos, with one resident recalling how the building shook before collapsing, trapping entire families. Adjacent buildings—a two-storey and a seven-storey structure—were evacuated due to structural damage. The Sindh government has formed a high-level committee to investigate the collapse, with findings expected within three days. Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani emphasized ongoing efforts to address hazardous buildings, though residents’ reluctance to relocate remains a challenge.

Posts on X reflect public outrage, pointing to alleged corruption within the SBCA and administrative negligence as key factors. Political figures, including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressed condolences, while opposition parties criticized the government for failing to act on known risks. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab noted the building’s long-standing “danger list” status, underscoring the need for stricter safety measures.

This incident follows a pattern in Lyari, where four major building collapses over the past five years have claimed 55 lives. In June 2020, a similar collapse killed 22 people, and earlier incidents in 2020 left dozens dead. The recurring tragedies in Lyari, a historically neglected area once plagued by gang violence, highlight the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to address Karachi’s infrastructure crisis and ensure public safety.

Published in SouthAsianDesk, July 5th, 2025

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