SBCA decides to immediately demolish dangerous buildings in Karachi
Four multi-storey buildings have collapsed in Karachi in the past two years
KARACHI (Dunya News) – On 5th March, a ,ulti-storey building in Karachi collapsed, killing 17 people after which 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.
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 vacating their residents will be officially proposed to authorities.
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 the accident where a multi-storey 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 on the four-storey building.
According to authorities, extensive boring in the area caused the building to collapse. Provincial Minister of Sindh for Local Government Nasir Hussain Shah arrived on the spot and reviewed the relief operation.
It is to be noted that this is the fourth incident of a multi-storey building collapsing onto itself 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.
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.
