KARACHI: The death toll from the collapse of a five-storey residential building in Lyari rose to 15 on Saturday after two more bodies were recovered from the debris.
Rescue teams have so far pulled out the bodies of seven women and eight men. At least eight injured survivors, including a three-month-old infant, were rescued alive from the rubble.
Officials fear that nearly 10 people may still be trapped under the collapsed structure. Rescue workers are using modern equipment, including live locators and voice detectors, to find signs of life.
The impact of the collapse also damaged the staircase of an adjacent building. Authorities have evacuated a nearby seven-storey structure amid fears of further collapse due to structural weakness.
According to rescue officials, 12 families had been living in the ill-fated building, while the adjoining building has also suffered significant damage.
9th Muharram being observed today with solemnity
Eyewitnesses said the building had shown visible signs of deterioration for some time, but no action was taken by the authorities.
The search and rescue operation has been underway for over 20 hours and may continue for another seven to eight hours, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has constituted an inquiry committee to probe the incident. The committee will identify those responsible and submit its report to the Local Government Minister within three days.
The building located in Baghdadi area in Layari. It had five floors, housing residential flats. One of its sections collapsed, where six families were residing. A portion of two other adjacent buildings have also collapsed.