The rescue operation following the collapse of a five-story building in Karachi’s Lyari area has concluded after nearly 53 hours. According to officials, a total of 27 bodies have been recovered, 20 of whom belonged to a single family. Rescue officials told the BBC that the victims were members of the Hindu community, all closely related. However, in a miraculous turn of events, a three-month-old baby girl survived the incident with only minor scratches, as confirmed by Rescue 1122 authorities. The exact reason behind the collapse of the five-story building has not yet been disclosed. However, the Sindh government claims that 14 out of 22 dangerous buildings in Lyari have been evacuated so far. Officials from Rescue 1122, who were involved in recovering bodies from the rubble, explained why the rescue operation took so long and how the infant survived. According to them, "It was an extremely severe incident. A five-story residential building collapsed suddenly, and the concrete debris — including heavy steel reinforcements and cement — fell directly on the residents." "The sudden nature of the collapse caused a high death toll. Many bodies were found in pieces, and parts had to be collected during the rescue efforts."
Mazhar Ali, a Rescue 1122 Disaster Emergency Officer in District Central, Karachi, was dispatched to assist after a five-story building collapsed in Lyari, South District, on Friday, July 4th. Mazhar said that upon arrival, his team immediately began a search and rescue operation to locate possible survivors under the rubble. Amid the debris, they found a three-month-old baby girl alive, while the bodies of her mother and other family members were discovered nearby. "The infant was covered in dust, with minor facial bleeding, but had no major injuries," Mazhar explained. He believes the mother’s final act was to save her child. “Perhaps, as the debris started falling, she threw the baby away from herself to protect her," Mazhar added. Witnesses also confirmed seeing the mother toss the child away during the collapse. “This suggests she only had a moment to choose between saving herself or her daughter—and she chose her daughter,” he concluded.
According to authorities, a total of 27 bodies have been recovered, 20 of whom belonged to the same family.
Several residents of the collapsed building in Lyari told us that two light tremors were felt before the actual collapse, prompting many to evacuate. Some tried to return to retrieve their belongings. One particularly tragic story involved a young man whose family had safely exited the building. “He told them he would take a quick shower before leaving,” a neighbor recalled. “But during that time, the building came down.” Rescue officer Mazhar Ali noted, “We found several bodies on the staircase, suggesting they were either escaping or going back when the building collapsed.” Meghji Devji also confirmed, “When the building first shook, many residents fled with whatever possessions they could carry.” “These were all poor families,” he added. “They tried to save their hard-earned belongings as well as their lives—many were young men.” Some reportedly returned upstairs after telling their families they would bring down more items, unaware that tragedy would strike within moments.
Mazhar Ali stated, “The rescue team first attempted to detect any signs of life beneath the debris.” “We used a search camera to locate any survivors, and also deployed the Delsar Life Detector, a device specifically designed to detect movement or sound from trapped individuals.” He added, “Many bodies were pinned under heavy rubble. If the debris had been removed carelessly, it could have led to disrespect for the deceased. That’s why we used modern tools and equipment to carefully cut through the wreckage, ensuring the remains were handled with dignity.” Mazhar further noted that in many cases, the body parts were scattered far from each other due to the impact.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassan Al-Haseeb said, “It was a challenging operation that took 53 hours to complete.” He explained that they encountered several obstacles. “Due to Muharram processions, many roads were closed, making it difficult for our teams to reach the site.” He also noted that dozens of volunteers from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were present at the scene and at times interfered with rescue operations. “There was a huge crowd of citizens and families of victims, pulling our personnel in different directions.” According to Hassan, “The site of the building collapse had a very narrow access point. Our urban search and rescue vehicle, which carries essential equipment and tools, could not reach the scene and had to be parked three kilometers away.” “To transport necessary equipment, our personnel had to walk or use motorcycles. In some cases, our rescue workers dug through debris manually to retrieve bodies.” Due to these difficulties, Rescue 1122 Director General Dr. Abid Jalaluddin Sheikh contacted the Rangers and the government to request additional support. More Rangers and police personnel were deployed to remove unnecessary individuals and NGO volunteers from the scene. However, families of victims were allowed to remain on-site, Hassan confirmed.
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