Lyari building collapse death toll rises to 22

The death toll from the collapse of a five-storey residential building in Karachi’s Lyari Baghdadi area has risen to 22, after two more bodies were recovered from the debris on Saturday.

At least eight people, including a three-month-old infant, have been rescued with injuries, while over 20 individuals are still feared trapped beneath the rubble.

The ongoing rescue operation, supported by modern equipment and search technology, has so far cleared nearly half of the collapsed structure.

However, limited visibility and overcrowding at the scene continue to obstruct the efforts of emergency responders.

Teams from Rescue 1122, police, Rangers, and other emergency services remain actively engaged in the operation. Voice detectors and life locators are being used to identify any possible survivors. Families and local residents are gathered near the site, anxiously awaiting news of missing loved ones.

Authorities have also begun evacuating damaged neighboring buildings, declaring several of them unsafe after suffering structural impacts from the collapse.

Read more: Karachi: Baby pulled out alive from rubble as building collapse leaves 14 dead

Among the deceased brought to Civil Hospital are 55-year-old Hoor Bibi, 35-year-old Waseem, 21-year-old Prantik, and 28-year-old Prem. Fatima, the wife of a man named Babu, passed away during medical treatment.

Three other victims, including a 25-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man, and a 7-year-old boy, remain unidentified.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and directed officials to submit an urgent report on the cause and response.

SSP City Arif Aziz, speaking at the site, said that narrow access routes and crowd congestion are complicating rescue logistics and delaying ambulance movement.