Authorities have filed a case against officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) after a residential building collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari area, resulting in the deaths of 27 people and injuries to four others.
The first information report (FIR) was lodged based on a complaint submitted by an official from the Sindh Local Government, Housing, and Town Planning Department.
According to the FIR, the building, originally constructed in 1986 as a ground-plus-five structure and divided into two sections, had been in a severely dilapidated state for years, rendering it unfit for habitation.
The complainant stated that one section containing 20 flats collapsed due to gross negligence on the part of SBCA officials, which led to the tragic loss of lives—including men, women, and children—and injuries to four residents.
The FIR further alleged that the SBCA officers had been aware of the building’s dangerous condition since 2022 but failed to take meaningful action, displaying carelessness and neglect that ultimately contributed to the disaster.
In response to the collapse, a five-member inquiry committee was constituted under the leadership of the Karachi commissioner. The committee’s mandate includes identifying those responsible, recommending measures to prevent similar tragedies, and proposing a comprehensive plan to evacuate residents from unsafe structures throughout Karachi.
