The death toll has now increased to 27 and they are entering Day Three of their efforts in rescue operations.
Rescue efforts continued into their third day following the collapse of a five-storey residential building in Lyari’s Baghdadi Colony of Karachi on Monday morning, as authorities reported 27 confirmed fatalities as part of their report. Rescue services assisted by heavy machinery and specialized equipment have raced against time to locate any survivors trapped beneath debris left from this catastrophe.
Casualties and Rescue Operations On Sunday morning, officials confirmed the recovery of 27 bodies; these included nine women, 15 men, three children aged 13, 10, and just over one year old; these bodies can be seen here: [ApNews.com/tribuneindia com] & (Tribuneindia.com ).
One more victim succumbed to injuries sustained during the violence at hospital on Tuesday, bringing the total fatalities in India up to 27 mes Ilkha.com/+7, Geo.tv/+7 and Tribuneindia/+7 (Ilkha/7 Geo/Tv/7 Tribuneindia).
Five people were injured, three women among them. Ten injured individuals have since been released from medical facilities (Tribuneindia.com and Ilkha.com respectively).
Rescue crews from services including Rescue-1122, Edhi Foundation, and other agencies have deployed cranes, sniffer dogs, heartbeat detectors, thermal imaging, and thermal mapping in an attempt to search through the rubble for up to three individuals believed still trapped beneath. 95 % of debris removal has already taken place according to Rescue-1122 but teams believe up to three individuals may still be trapped below. Tribuneindia.com | Geo.tv | Tribunecom.pk @ tribuneindia
Fotan Mansion had long been flagged as unsafe by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), which issued multiple evacuation notices between 2022-2024–an issue which locals claim went ignored by authorities.
arabnews.com
geo.tv
Authorities report residents reported feeling tremors before Lyari collapsed, prompting some families to evacuate prior to its collapse (Daybreak.com, Dawn.com and Tribune.com.pk all mention this). Narrow streets presented logistical challenges for heavy machinery and ambulances alike (Youtube/Dawncom/tribunecom.pk both list this).
Human Stories Amid Rubble
Heartrending accounts emerged amid the chaos: Muhammad Zaid, 15, was one of the last victims found after family members asked search teams to return to a specific section of the collapsed staircase and revisit it before retrieving him tribune.com.pk.
Another victim, an 18-month-old girl, underlined the tragedy’s toll on young lives, Geo TV reported +1 and Tribune reported.
Community members reported discovering valuables–cash, jewellery and cheques–trapped under the structure, along with vehicles. All have since been recovered and returned to their owners (timesofindia.indiatimes.com; geo.tv; dailytimes.com.pk and dailytimes.com.pk respectively).
Murad Ali Shah of Sindh announced on Sunday that a high-level committee will submit its full investigation report by Monday. He stressed the need for enforcement against illegal construction as well as support for displaced families; noting over 480 unsafe buildings had already been identified primarily in District South. (Sources: Dawn.com and Tribuneindia.com for coverage.
Similar assessments are underway in nearby Agra Taj Colony, where one seven-story building has already been evacuated due to safety concerns (dailytimes.com.pk/+1 and Tribune/AP +1).
Urban Collapse in Karachi Is an Ongoing Crisis
Karachi, with over 20 million inhabitants, has long been beset by rapid, often illegal construction, ageing infrastructure and limited regulatory oversight. Although hundreds of buildings have been identified as dangerous by the SBCA for violations such as lack of compliance with building codes, enforcement remains lax leading to avoidable disasters that arabnews.com details.
The Lyari tragedy follows a string of recent incidents related to structural negligence and substandard materials, according to media outlets such as Geo.TV (in Pakistan) and Daily Times/Trine News/Trine News/Trine News Online/Trainee News Online etc..
Officials Say Rebuilding Plans Can Start; Affected Families Wait
With debris clearance nearing completion and rescue operations set to end Sunday afternoon, officials believe avenues have now opened up to seek accountability and aid survivors rebuild. Yet for numerous affected families–particularly those of children and young adults–official inquiries provide little comfort amid grief and uncertainty.
Disaster has exposed longstanding challenges facing Karachi’s urban environment. Without proper enforcement of safety laws and empowerment for communities, tragedies will recur in future years.