Five-storey building collapses in Karachi, kills seven; rescue ops underway for trapped victims
The incident happened shortly after 10 am (0500 GMT) in the impoverished Lyari neighbourhood of Karachi, which was once plagued by gang violence and considered one of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan.
Shankar Kamho, 30, a resident of the building who was out at the time, said around 20 families were living inside.
"I got a call from my wife saying the building was cracking and I told her to get out immediately," he told AFP at the scene.
"She went to warn the neighbours, but one woman told her 'this building will stand for at least 10 more years'. Still, my wife took our daughter and left. About 20 minutes later, the building collapsed."
Rescuers retrieved seven bodies from the rubble, and rescued eight injured people, an official leading the operations, Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh, told AFP.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed the death toll to reporters as he visited the site.
Up to 100 people had been living in the building, senior police officer Arif Aziz told AFP.
Saad Edhi, of the Edhi welfare foundation that is part of the rescue operation, told AFP there could be "at least eight to 10 more people still trapped", describing it as a "worn-out building".
Nearby residents rushed to save their neighbours before rescuers took over to remove the rubble, along with at least five excavators.
The heavy machinery struggled to access the narrow alleys, and police baton-charged residents to clear the way.
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