Death Toll in Karachi Building Collapse Climbs to 13

Islamabad: The death toll from a residential building collapse in the Soldier Bazaar area of Karachi has risen to 13, including women and children, while 13 others sustained injuries, according to local media reports on Thursday.

The incident occurred at a house in Gul Raza Colony, where a suspected gas leak triggered an explosion, leading to a partial collapse of the structure. The injured and deceased were shifted to Civil Hospital for treatment and identification, reported Dawn.

A District East police spokesperson stated that preliminary findings suggest the explosion was caused by a gas leak. Rescue 1122 confirmed that search and rescue operations are ongoing, with specialised urban search and rescue teams and disaster response vehicles deployed at the site.

Authorities have cordoned off the affected area as emergency teams continue efforts to locate individuals trapped beneath the debris.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took immediate notice of the incident and directed officials to expedite rescue operations and ensure the injured receive optimal medical care. He also instructed the Karachi commissioner to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse.

### Series of Recent Tragedies

The incident adds to a string of recent disasters in Karachi. On January 17, a major fire at the Gul Plaza shopping centre on Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road claimed at least 80 lives and left several others missing.

Last year also saw multiple structural and gas-related incidents in the city. In July, a five-storey building collapsed in Lyari, killing 27 people after authorities had previously declared it unsafe. According to the Sindh Building Control Authority, 588 buildings in Karachi had been marked as dangerous at that time.

Investigations into the latest collapse are underway as rescue operations continue.

With inputs from IANS