At least six persons, including a woman and a child, were killed and a dozen others injured today when a dilapidated three-storey building collapsed in this Pakistani port city, officials said.
Rescue workers pulled out the survivors and bodies from under the rubble in Liaquatabad town and shifted them to a hospital, several other residents are feared stuck in the rubble.
"Six bodies have been recovered so far while at least 11 people who were pulled out from the rubble have been taken to hospital with injuries for treatment," Faisal Edhi of the Edhi welfare trust said.
The injured included four women who were sent to the hospital for treatment.
An eyewitness said that 20 people were residing in the building.
According to area residents, the 60-80 yard building was in a derelict state and the third storey had been illegally built a few months earlier.
A large number of rescue workers, police officials, and Rangers personnel took part in the rescue operation.
Deputy Commissioner Central Capt (retired) Fariduddin Mustafa said the public lacked awareness regarding construction of multi-storey buildings on small areas and the Sindh Building Control Authority is responsible for keeping an eye on the issue.
"We will require at least 24 hours to clear the rubble and then we will know how many people were present in the building when it collapsed," Mustafa said.
The collapsed building was not part of the list of Karachi's 300 dilapidated buildings, he said.
People continue to live in dangerous buildings across the city, despite notices being issued by the authorities concerned.
The monsoon rains usually cause damage and casualties in the metropolitan city.
Safety codes are often ignored in Pakistan and in some of the poorer areas construction is haphazard and bribes are paid to inspectors to approve substandard construction.
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