Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has urged citizens to verify whether a building has received all necessary approvals before purchasing flats.
His remarks came days after the recent building collapse in Karachi’s Lyari area left at least 27 people dead. The search and rescue operation was concluded after nearly three days on Sunday evening.
“The rescue operation continued for 60 hours and is now complete,” Assistant Commissioner Shehryar Habib told reporters on Sunday, vowing to launch an operation against all buildings declared unfit in the area.
“Twenty-six bodies — including nine women, 15 men, and a ten-year-old boy and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl — were recovered from the rubble, while another person succumbed to their wounds during treatment,” he had said.
Speaking to the media in Karachi on Sunday, the chief minister said a committee has been formed to probe the incident. “We will review the reports in tomorrow’s meeting,” he added.
He also revealed that the building evacuated last night in Agra Taj was constructed a few years ago without approval from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
He further stated that the government is reviewing options for relocating residents of over 400 ‘dangerous’ buildings in the Old City Area.
Committee formed
The Sindh government formed a high-level committee to investigate the incident, tasked with submitting a report by Monday.
The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) revealed that the collapsed structure — which housed over 40 people in 20 apartments — was 30 years old and had been previously marked unsafe.
The authority claimed it had issued formal evacuation notices two years ago, and the latest was served on 25 June 2025. It said it had also sent notices to K-Electric and the water board to disconnect utility services — but neither the connections were cut nor was the building vacated.
The incident also sheds light on the existing threat posed by buildings already declared unsafe and unfit for habitation by the SBCA. The number of such buildings stands at 578 in Karachi, with 456 of them being in the District South alone.
Other districts also face risk: Central (66), Keamari (23), Korangi (14), East (13), Malir (4), and West (2).
Another building declared unsafe
While the dust from Friday’s collapse of the residential building had not settled, another multi-storey complex in the same neighbourhood was declared “unsafe”, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders on Sunday.
In Agra Taj, the police and authorities initially faced resistance from the residents, who had refused to evacuate the building “under any circumstances”.
“Where were the institutions when the building was being constructed?” the residents questioned, calling for the provision of alternative accommodation before being asked to vacate the building.
“We are living in this building, and we do not feel any danger,” said one of the residents of the building.
In response, the district administration assured that the affected residents would be duly compensated by the builder.
“We have offered to shift the affected residents to a school,” the District South deputy commissioner had said, while urging the residents to vacate the dilapidated building.
Noting that they had contacted the relevant builder, the official assured that due action would be taken against him and he would pay back the residents.
The authorities, in their bid to persuade residents to vacate the structure, also demolished the water tank on the roof.
According to the police, a case has been registered against the builder at Kalri Police Station, which also names the contractor, on the complaint of the SBCA’s assistant director.
