Two dead in roof collapse in Karachi

Karachi, Jul 16 (PTI) Two women died and three injured when the roof of their old and dilapidated building collapsed in downtown Karachi on Thursday.

The six-storey building is located in the Khada Market area of Karachi’s Lyari, rescue and police officials said.

Two weeks ago, another building collapsed in the same Lyari area killing 27 people while earlier last month 22 people were rescued when a portion of their residential building collapsed in the Soldier Bazar old area.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told the media that two women, both sisters, were among those who died in the incident on Thursday while three of their daughters were seriously injured.

“The building, known as Ghani Mansion, in the old Kharadar area was old and there was some work going on the roof of the sixth floor when it collapsed.” Karachi’s old area has a number of dilapidated residential buildings which the authorities have declared unsafe for occupation but in many instances despite repeated warnings residents refuse to leave.

Local government minister Saeed Ghani said that there were 107 buildings alone in Lyari which had been declared unsafe and authorities are trying to get them vacated.

As many as 44 dilapidated buildings, including 10 declared as protected heritage in the city’s South district, have been vacated for demolition in the aftermath of the Lyari building tragedy. PTI CORR NPK NPK