KARACHI:
Panic and despair gripped residents of Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Tuesday morning after two blocks of a residential complex, Yasir Terrace, partially caved into the ground, forcing nearly 300 people to abandon their homes and spend the night under the open sky.
The incident occurred in Block 10 of the bustling Karachi locality around 5:30am. Residents were jolted awake by what they described as a loud explosion, initially fearing an earthquake. Within minutes, the ground beneath Blocks C and D of the building began to sink, cracking walls, shattering windows, and buckling large sections of the structure.
Buildings Declared Unsafe
Following a technical inspection, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) sealed both blocks and declared them unsafe for habitation. Residents have been barred from re-entering their flats, even to collect essential belongings, a restriction that has fueled anger and frustration among the displaced families.
Assistant Commissioner Syed Aamir confirmed that rapid water flow from a nearby drain may have weakened the foundation, while officials did not rule out a possible gas explosion. A full investigation is still underway.
Residents in Distress
With their homes sealed off, families including women, children, and the elderly are stranded inside the complex’s courtyard, braving rain without shelter, food, or medical support. “We’ve lost everything,” said Qazi Akbar, a resident of the building. “The authorities won’t even let us retrieve our necessities. It’s raining, and we’re sitting under the open sky. Where are we supposed to go?”
While government relief has yet to arrive, the welfare organisation Al-Khidmat Foundation has stepped in to distribute food and drinking water to the affected households.
Wider Risk in the Area
Although Blocks A and B of Yasir Terrace remain intact, engineers say further inspection is needed to determine whether they are structurally sound. More than 70 nearby houses were also evacuated due to heavy rainfall and visible land erosion, while a road adjacent to the complex has suffered severe damage.
Calls for Urgent Action
Displaced residents are demanding immediate assistance from the Sindh government and SBCA, including temporary shelter and rehabilitation. For now, however, hundreds remain in limbo their homes sealed, their lives uprooted, and their future uncertain.
