At least 27 bodies recovered from collapsed Pakistan building as rescue ends

The death toll from a collapsed multistory residential building in Pakistan’s Karachi city rose to 27 on Sunday as a three-day rescue operation ended, officials said.

Rescuers pulled 11 more bodies from the rubble of the building that collapsed on Friday, according to Dr Summayya Tariq, the Karachi police surgeon. Ten people were injured and one of them died at a hospital, she said.

Authorities said they were investigating the cause of the collapse.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are often overlooked to reduce costs.

In June 2020, an apartment building collapsed in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, killing 22 people.

Residents said the building was located on a narrow street, making it difficult for rescue teams to bring in additional heavy equipment. Television footage showed rescuers removing the rubble and evacuating nearby buildings as a precaution.