Karachi:
A structurally unstable building of five floors in Baghdad Colony, Lyari, collapsed more than 48 hours ago, killing at least 27 people, officials announced on Sunday.
Dr. Sabir Memon, executive director of Benazir Bhutto Trauma Center, confirmed the number of deaths. An injured person remains under treatment in the hospital.
According to Rescue 1122 officials, the deceased includes nine women, 15 men, a 10 -year -old boy and an 18 -month -old girl identified as Muqaddas. Another deceased has been identified as family members. Many deceased belong to the Hindu community.
While more debris was cleared, more deceased were recovered under the rubble. The rescue teams, helped by the digitization equipment, continue efforts to locate more survivors or deceased.
During the operation, species, checks and jewelry were recovered in three separate locations and given to the local president of the Union Council.
The Edhi Foundation confirmed that the deceased had been transferred to the cold storage installation of Lyari Musa Lane.
South sub-commissioner, Javed Nabi Khosa, said The Express PK Press Club These operations are underway with the greatest care to avoid endangering anyone who trapped living. He noted that the densely populated area had made the rescue difficult. But the teams are equipped with advanced technology, he added.
The rescuers used sniff dogs and heavy machines while they search the rubble. Resident volunteers and the police help the research operation.
Read: Most victims of the collapse of the Lyari building belong to the Hindu community
Structural damage
Another seven floors residential building in the colony of Agra Taj of Lyari was evacuated late Saturday evening after a joint operation of the District Administration, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the police.
The building was declared dangerous after signs of structural leaning were identified. Serious cracks had appeared in the structure after the recent fate of monsoon.
Find out more: Hope fades as Lyari Building collapses Toll hits 23
An inspection of SBCA engineers declared the uninhabitable building, which caused an emergency evacuation. The residents first resisted at the start but agreed to leave after successful negotiations.
According to the assistant commissioner of South, the building housed 12 apartments with 57 residents of 11 families.
The building has now been sealed, its diet has been disconnected and the water tank has been demolished to avoid an additional danger.
‘Unfit to live’
Talk to Express NewsLyari municipal officer Hammad Nd Khan said that the Sindh government had decided to evacuate all the dangerous buildings of Lyari.
He said that an official operation will be decided on Monday at a meeting chaired by the Sindh -chief Minister. It is expected that all dangerous buildings will be evacuated in phases and demolished.
He added that the provincial government will develop a policy aimed at providing alternative housing to residents of these dangerous structures.
Temporary accommodation arrangements have been taken in community centers and hotels for victims of collapsed and evacuated buildings, he said. However, most of the affected residents have chosen to stay with their loved ones or on the spot, he said, adding that TMC Lyari provides them with food and other necessities.
According to Khan, the rescue operation is expected to be completed on Sunday. A legal action will be taken under the law against all the persons involved in illegal constructions in Lyari, he said.
A woman affected said that the temporary refuge in a KMC school in Lyari was “unfit to live”.
A demanding responsibility for endangered lives, affected residents accused SBCA officials of accepting bribes, both during and after building the building, and ignoring clear violations.
After the evacuation, SBCA recorded a case at the Kalri police station against the manufacturer and an anonymous entrepreneur.
The FIR indicates that lower quality materials and illegal construction methods have been used, bringing the lives of serious risks, thus requiring the sealing of the building.
The deputy commissioner said that if government officials are deemed accomplices in building building, judicial measures will also be taken against them. He added that residents will be supported in recovering their manufacturer’s financial losses.
