Cracking sounds preceded collapse in Lyari; most victims from poor Hindu families in Pakistan, officials confirm
Karachi, Pakistan – July 7, 2025
Rescue teams in Karachi have completed a three-day search operation following the collapse of a five-storey residential building in the Lyari neighborhood, recovering 27 bodies, officials confirmed on Monday.
The tragedy occurred around 10am on Friday, with residents reporting loud cracking sounds moments before the structure gave way, burying dozens beneath the debris in one of the city’s densely populated and impoverished areas.
“All the bodies trapped under the debris have been recovered, so the search operation has been called off,” said Javed Nabi Khoso, the top government official in the district.
Victims Mostly from Hindu Minority Community
According to Sundeep Maheshewari, a local activist, 20 of the 27 victims were from Pakistan’s Hindu minority, with most belonging to low-income families.
“Most of the families are very poor,” Maheshewari told AFP.
The building was located in Lyari — a neighborhood once infamous for gang violence and still struggling with poor infrastructure and inadequate city services.
Eviction Notices Ignored or Unreceived
Officials revealed that the building had previously been declared unsafe, and eviction notices were issued between 2022 and 2024. However, residents and landlords claimed they had never received any official warning.
“The building had a known safety risk, but nothing was done in time,” one local resident told reporters.
Ongoing Crackdown on Unsafe Structures
In response to the tragedy, district authorities have evacuated five other unsafe buildings and launched a broader operation targeting over 50 identified structures deemed at risk.
“The operation will continue until all such buildings are evacuated,” Khoso said.
Karachi’s Construction Crisis
Karachi, a megacity of more than 20 million people, is notorious for:
- Shoddy construction materials
- Illegal building extensions
- Aging infrastructure
- Overcrowded housing
- Lack of regulatory enforcement
Building collapses are common in Pakistan, largely due to poor urban planning and substandard materials, particularly in low-income areas.
