Karachi, Pakistan — Rescue operations concluded on Sunday after a five-story residential building collapsed in Karachi’s impoverished Lyari neighborhood, resulting...

Karachi, Pakistan — Rescue operations concluded on Sunday after a five-story residential building collapsed in Karachi’s impoverished Lyari neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of 27 people. The building crumbled around 10 a.m. on Friday, with residents reporting cracking sounds shortly before the disaster struck.

The collapsed structure, built in 1974, had been declared unsafe by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) three years ago. Multiple eviction notices were reportedly sent to residents between 2022 and 2024, but many tenants and landlords claim they never received these warnings.

Rescue teams worked tirelessly over the weekend, removing most of the debris and recovering bodies, which was initially 12 bodies, but has risen to 27 over the past 24 hours of searching. Miraculously, a three-month-old infant was pulled alive from the rubble. Authorities believe the final body, possibly that of a young man trapped beneath the debris, is yet to be recovered. An adjacent building also sustained damage in the collapse.

Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi emphasized that residents living in unsafe buildings bear responsibility for their safety, urging people to heed warnings and prioritize evacuation when advised. He noted that forcibly evicting residents is undesirable, and the administration prefers voluntary compliance to prevent such tragedies.

This incident highlights a persistent event in Karachi where poor construction standards, illegal building extensions, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of regulations contribute to frequent building collapses. Karachi, home to over 20 million people, has long struggled with aging infrastructure and unsafe housing conditions.