Tragic End to Lyari Collapse: Death Toll Reaches 27 as Officials Vow Action Amidst Blame Game

Karachi, Pakistan – July 7, 2025 – The search and rescue operation in Lyari’s Baghdadi area officially concluded on Sunday, two days after a five-story residential building crumbled to the ground. The final death toll stands at a devastating 27 lives lost, including women and children, marking one of Karachi’s most tragic building collapse incidents in recent memory. The catastrophe has ignited a furious debate among city and provincial authorities, with top officials exchanging blame while vowing accountability and a renewed push to address the city’s precarious infrastructure.
The collapsed structure, located on Fida Husain Shaikha Road, had been declared “dangerous” by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) as early as October 2022. The Director-General of SBCA, speaking through official statements, reiterated that multiple ejectment notices were issued to the residents, beginning in June 2023, with subsequent reminders in 2024 and as recently as June 29, 2025. Utility companies, including K-Electric, SSGC, and KWSB, were also reportedly informed to disconnect services. “We did our part,” an SBCA official asserted, highlighting the residents’ refusal to vacate despite these repeated warnings. The SBCA further disclosed that approximately 588 buildings across Karachi are currently listed as “dangerous,” with 107 of them situated in Lyari alone.
Mayor Karachi, Murtaza Wahab, expressed profound sorrow over the incident, acknowledging the complex challenges faced by both the administration and the affected populace. “This is an unfortunate incident, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Mayor Wahab stated. He lamented the public’s reluctance to vacate unsafe structures, saying, “We have two options: to convince people to move out or force them to evacuate. Any government tries not to take forced action, but to convince people. The SBCA had issued four notices to vacate the affected building, but the residents considered it their personal property and refused to leave.” The Mayor underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to manage the city’s dilapidated buildings, pledging that “negligence will not be tolerated, and those responsible for this tragic incident will not be spared.”
Sindh Minister for Local Government, Saeed Ghani, announced the immediate formation of a high-level committee to investigate the collapse and submit a detailed report, identifying responsible officers and any instances of negligence, by Monday. He confirmed the suspension of concerned SBCA officials in District South, including the director, deputy director, and building inspectors. “Around 588 buildings across Karachi have been declared unsafe, with 456 located in District South,” Ghani said during a press conference. “While we have evacuated 16 dangerous buildings over the past few months, many critically unsafe structures remain occupied.”
Minister Ghani admitted that officials from various departments are complicit in facilitating illegal constructions and pledged to amend laws to introduce stricter penalties. He also revealed plans for a mobile application to provide the public with real-time information on the legal status of properties, aiming to empower citizens to make informed housing decisions.
The Lyari incident serves as a stark and tragic reminder of the critical need for robust urban planning, stringent enforcement of building codes, and a more effective partnership between authorities and citizens. As the provincial government pledges to prioritize the identification and evacuation of dangerous structures, the coming days will be crucial in determining the concrete actions taken to prevent such devastating losses in the future.