Asif Shaikh
On 5th March, a building in tatters collapsed in Golimar killing 18 people after which the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has decided to immediately demolish all ‘extremely dangerous’ buildings. According to details, SBCA has decided to vacate and immediately demolish the most dangerous buildings after collapse of residential building in Rizvia Society Gulbahar area. Major action against illegal construction in the area has also been decided upon. The Sindh Building Control Authority has decided to conduct surveys in Gulbahar to identify the buildings which have to be demolished. The buildings identified as decrepit will be marked and authorities will be be asked for their evacuation. Authorities say that measures will be suggested for buildings that can be possibly repaired and improved; there are concerns about the presence of several decrepit buildings in the Gulbahar area, which threaten the lives of citizens. It is pertinent to mention that 17 people, including women and children, were killed in an accident after a residential building collapsed in Rizvia Society. According to Dr Sohail Khan, MLO Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, the dead included seven women and three children. Several families were residing in the fallen building, more than 25 people have been saved from the rubble but more are feared dead. According to rescue officials, rescue operation is underway to evacuate the others under the rubble. According to sources, the building was constructed three years ago but the builder was building a fifth floor apart from its weakened foundation. It is to be noted that this is the fourth incident of a multi-storey building collapse in Karachi in past two years. The government had declared four hundred buildings in the city as decrepit and 1,500 as dangerous, but they could not be evacuated. It is pertinent to mention that 17 people, including women and children, were killed in an accident after a residential building collapsed in Rizvia Society. In December 2019, a six-story building demolished in Karachi’s Timber Market area however there were no casualties. In February 2019, three people were killed and three others were injured when a building collapsed in Malir Jafar Tayar Society. In July 2017, six people died and dozens more were injured due to collapse of a three-storey building in the Liaquatabad-No 9 area.
