The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in the Pakistani megacity of Karachi stands at 21 after rescue teams worked for a second day searching for survivors.
Residents reported hearing cracking sounds shortly before the apartment block crumbled on Friday morning local time in the impoverished Lyari neighbourhood, which was once plagued by gang violence and considered one of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan.
Authorities said the building had been declared unsafe and eviction notices were sent to occupants over three years, but landlords and some residents told AFP they had not received them.
Late on Saturday, senior district government official Javed Nabi Khoso said the death toll stood at 21 and the rescue operation was ongoing.
Residents said the building was located on a narrow street, hampering efforts to bring in additional heavy equipment.
It was unclear whether there were people still trapped inside.
Dev Raj, 54, told AFP his daughter was underneath the rubble.
"She was my beloved daughter. She was so sensitive but is under the burden of debris. She got married just six months ago," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, families said at least eight people were still believed to be trapped as temperatures climbed to 33 degrees Celsius.
Mr Khoso said notices had been served in 2022, 2023 and 2024 to occupants.
"We don't want to impose our orders by force. We work in phases and send them notices to leave the building. They didn't take the notices seriously," he told AFP.
But Imran Khaskheli, an owner and resident watching the rescue operation on Saturday, denied receiving notices.
"Do you think we are out of our senses to stay in an unsafe building with our families?" he said.
Mr Khaskheli told AFP he had seen cracks in the pillars of the building early on Friday.
"I knocked on all the doors and asked families to leave immediately," he said, adding that about 40 families lived in the building but that many did not heed his warning.
More than 50 buildings in the district have been declared unsafe, with six evacuated since yesterday, according to Mr Khoso.
'Nothing is left'
Many of the victims are believed to be women, who are more likely to be at home during the day.
All six members of 70-year-old Jumho Maheshwari's family were in their first-floor apartment when he left for work early in the morning.
"Nothing is left for me now. My family is all trapped and all I can do is pray for their safe recovery," he said on Friday.
Shankar Kamho, a 30-year-old resident, was out at the time when his wife called to say the building was cracking.
"I told her to get out immediately," he told AFP.
"She went to warn the neighbours, but one woman told her 'this building will stand for at least 10 more years'," he said.
"Still, my wife took our daughter and left. About 20 minutes later, the building collapsed."
Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced.
Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to cut costs.
In June 2020, an apartment building collapsed in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, killing 22 people.
AFP/AP
