The confirmed death toll from the recent building collapse in Karachi, Pakistan, has climbed to 27, as rescue workers continue to uncover more bodies from the debris.
Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan, spokesperson for the state-run Rescue 1122, provided the update on Sunday.
Khan reported that rescue efforts are nearly finished, with the bulk of the wreckage from the five-storey structure, located in the densely populated and underprivileged Lyari area, already cleared.
The victims include at least 15 women and three children, while three more individuals remain in critical condition.
The intensive operation spanned over 48 hours and involved the use of heavy-duty machinery and modern rescue equipment. Local officials disclosed that the 30-year-old building had previously been flagged as structurally unsound.
A high-level inquiry committee has since been set up to determine the cause of the collapse.
According to eyewitnesses, warning signs were evident as cracking sounds were heard shortly before the structure gave way at around 10 a.m. on Friday.
“Most of the debris has been removed,” Khan told AFP, expressing hope that the rescue operation would wrap up by the afternoon.
Though authorities claimed they had issued eviction notices to residents between 2022 and 2024, many tenants and property owners insisted they had not received any formal warnings.
“My daughter is trapped under the rubble,” said a distressed Dev Raj, 54, who stood helplessly at the site. “She was my beloved daughter, so sensitive, and she got married just six months ago.”
Incidents like this are tragically common in Pakistan, where lapses in safety standards and the use of inferior building materials plague the construction industry.
Karachi, home to more than 20 million people, is particularly vulnerable due to its widespread unauthorized building expansions, decaying infrastructure, overpopulation, and weak enforcement of regulatory standards.