The Sindh government has announced financial compensation of one million rupees per victim for the families of the 27 people who died in the Lyari building collapse and also suspended the director general of the buildings department.
This announcement was made in a joint press conference by Senior Provincial Minister Sharjeel Memon and Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Monday.
Sharjeel Memon said, “We stand with the affected families in this tragic time, and the culprits behind this Lyari tragedy will face the strictest punishment.”
The senior provincial minister also revealed that the Director General of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has been suspended.
Talking to the media, Saeed Ghani stated that a fact-finding committee will submit its report within two days, and FIRs will be registered against all those found negligent.
Saeed Ghani further warned that stricter building control laws are coming soon and advised citizens to verify the NOC before buying any property.
FIR registered against builder
According to a TV channel report on Monday, the builder and contractor of the seven-storey structure in Lyari's Agra Taj Colony have not yet been arrested.
The builder, Mansoor Shah, fled his residence after the collapse and switched off his phone. However, police teams are conducting raids and expect his arrest soon.
An FIR has been registered at Karachi's Kalri Police Station against the builder for using substandard materials, based on the complaint of SBCA Assistant Director Lyari Zafar Iqbal.
The FIR states that notices to vacate the building were issued on April 22 and July 2, as it was deemed unsafe and at risk of collapsing, posing both life and property hazards.
Shahmir Bhutto appointed new DG
After the collapse of the residential building in Lyari, the Sindh government has appointed Shah Mir Khan Bhutto as the new Director General of the Sindh Building Control Authority (DG) (SBCA) in place of the suspended Muhammad Ishaq Khuhro.
Former DG Muhammad Ishaq Khuhro, who has been made OSD, has been ordered to report to the Services General Administration and Coordination Department (S&GAD). Khuhro will continue to receive his salary during the suspension.
Earlier, Shah Mir Khan Bhutto was serving as Special Secretary, Chief Minister Implementation and Inspection Team. The S&GAD has issued a notification in this regard.
Over 50 unsafe buildings evacuated
According to AFP, Pakistani rescue teams concluded a three-day operation, recovering 27 bodies from the debris of the collapsed building in Lyari.
Residents told the media that cracking sounds were heard just before the apartment block crumbled around 10 am on Friday. Once a hotspot for gang violence, Lyari remains one of the most underprivileged areas in the city.
“All the bodies trapped under the debris have been recovered, so the search operation has been called off,” said Javed Nabi Khoso, the district’s top government official, confirming the death toll at 27.
Authorities had declared the building unsafe and served eviction notices between 2022 and 2024, but several landlords and residents denied receiving any warnings.
Among the deceased, 20 victims belonged to the Hindu community, reported Sundeep Maheshwari, an activist for minority rights. “Most of the families were extremely poor,” he said.
District official Khoso said that since the tragedy, five out of over 50 dangerous buildings in the area have been evacuated, and the operation will continue until all such structures are cleared.
Reporters: Aajiz Jamali, Miraj Akhtar, and Azad Nehrio