Karachi — July 7, 2025
After more than 50 hours of relentless effort, the rescue operation at the site of a collapsed five-storey residential building in Lyari’s Baghdadi area officially came to an end on Sunday. Authorities have confirmed that 27 people lost their lives in the tragic incident, while 11 others were injured — including a toddler and several women.
The building came crashing down early Friday morning, sending shockwaves through the tightly packed neighbourhood and triggering a massive rescue response involving Rescue 1122, Edhi Foundation, and other emergency services.
According to officials at Civil Hospital Karachi, among the deceased were 11 women, 16 men, and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl. Most of the victims suffered critical head injuries. One of the injured — identified as 55-year-old Fatima — succumbed to her wounds during treatment. Ten of the injured have since been discharged, while 30-year-old Sanatia remains under medical care.
The final body to be recovered from the debris was that of 15-year-old Muhammad Zaid, whose remains were found trapped near a staircase. His elder brother, who survived the collapse, shared a heartbreaking account — saying he had tried to pull Zaid to safety as the structure gave way, but lost his grip in the chaos. Their father and two other brothers also perished in the collapse.
Zaid’s body was found after search teams returned to the location upon the family’s insistence. He was buried deep beneath the rubble, in an area from which several bodies had already been retrieved. Special equipment was brought in to aid the recovery.
During the operation, rescue workers also found cash, jewellery, and cheques at the site. These items were collected and handed over to the local union council for safekeeping.
Hameer Wahid, Rescue 1122 South In-Charge, confirmed 95% of the debris had been cleared. “We don’t believe anyone is still trapped. There are no families left on-site awaiting news of missing loved ones,” he stated. Wahid added that the operation was carried out with extreme care to avoid further trauma to the victims or their families.
Several motorcycles and rickshaws parked beneath the building were crushed in the collapse. Residents of the area said the ground floor was commonly used for parking.
Chief Fire and Rescue Officer Humayun Khan highlighted the challenges his teams faced navigating Lyari’s narrow streets, similar to those in Liaquatabad and Gulbahar. “Crowds, limited access, and a flood of ambulances slowed our work. But we used modern rescue equipment to minimize delays,” he explained. Khan noted that Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab had already initiated a survey of multi-storey structures across the city. Of the 266 buildings inspected on I.I. Chundrigar Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal, 190 were found to be unsafe — raising alarm bells for other aging neighborhoods like Lyari.
Rescue 1122 In-Charge Roshan Ali confirmed that all names on the missing persons’ list had been accounted for. “We’ve followed every lead and recovered all the bodies. Only minor debris remains, and we expect the final cleanup to take another two hours,” he told reporters on-site.
As Lyari mourns its dead, the incident once again underscores the urgent need for action against unsafe constructions across Karachi — before more lives are lost to preventable tragedies.
