Lyari Tragedy
The Sindh government has launched a major crackdown on unsafe buildings across Karachi following the recent collapse of a five-storey structure in Lyari that claimed at least 27 lives.
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani announced on Monday that a fact-finding committee originally set up to investigate the Lyari tragedy has now been directed to examine the condition of 51 other severely dilapidated buildings in the city. He said the committee is expected to submit a detailed report within 24 hours, after which demolition operations will begin.
Ghani was addressing a press conference in Karachi alongside Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar. He confirmed that once the committee completes its survey and provides its findings, the government will initiate the demolition of the identified hazardous structures to prevent further tragedies.
The committee, which includes the Karachi commissioner and other key officials, has also been granted an extension of two days to submit its final report on the Lyari incident.
The decision follows a harrowing incident in Lyari, where a 30-year-old residential building housing over 40 people in 20 apartments collapsed. The rescue operation lasted nearly three days and concluded on Sunday evening.
Authorities recovered 26 bodies, including those of nine women, 15 men, and two children. Another victim died later in hospital due to injuries sustained in the collapse.
Ghani revealed that the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had previously issued formal evacuation notices for the Lyari building, including the most recent one on June 25, 2025. The SBCA also claimed to have requested utility companies to disconnect electricity and water supplies, but the services remained active and the building was never vacated.
In a move to ensure accountability, the Sindh government has suspended the Director General of the SBCA. FIRs are also being planned against officials found guilty of negligence. Home Minister Zia Lanjar stressed that criminal negligence would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Minister Ghani noted that notices are regularly issued for unsafe structures but lamented that the process often ends there, with little to no enforcement. He also stated that the city commissioner has now been tasked with compiling data on 588 additional buildings across Karachi that have been declared dangerous.
Sharjeel Memon disclosed that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah chaired an emergency meeting on the Lyari collapse and has ordered decisive action. Memon also mentioned that, province-wide, 740 buildings have been identified as dangerous. In a gesture of support for affected families, the government announced compensation of Rs1 million for each victim.
Meanwhile, CM Murad Ali Shah has urged citizens to verify the legal status of residential buildings before purchasing property. He pointed out that another building in Agra Taj was evacuated just the night before and was found to have been constructed without approval from the SBCA.
Looking ahead, the Sindh government is reviewing plans to relocate residents from over 400 structurally compromised buildings in Karachi’s Old City Area. This multi-pronged response marks a significant shift toward prioritizing building safety and regulatory enforcement across Sindh.
