Dr Sabir Memon, Executive Director of Benazir Bhutto Trauma Center, confirmed the death toll. One injured person remains under treatment at the hospital.
According to Rescue 1122 officials, the deceased include nine women, 15 men, a 10-year-old boy, and an 18-month-old girl identified as Muqaddas. Another deceased was identified as Shoaib by family members. Many of the deceased belong to the Hindu community.
As more debris was cleared, more deceased were retrieved from under the rubble. Rescue teams, assisted by scanning equipment, are continuing efforts to locate more survivors or deceased.
During the operation, cash, cheques and jewellery were recovered from three separate locations and handed over to the local union council chairperson.
The Edhi Foundation confirmed that the deceased have been transferred to the cold storage facility at Lyari Musa Lane.
South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khosa told The Express Tribune that operations are being carried out with utmost care to avoid endangering anyone trapped alive. He noted that the densely populated area has made rescue work difficult. But the teams are equipped with advanced technology, he added.
Rescue workers have employed sniffer dogs and heavy machinery as they search the rubble. Resident volunteers along with the police are assisting in the search operation.
Read: Most Lyari building collapse victims belong to Hindu community
Structural damage
Another seven-storey residential building in Lyari’s Agra Taj Colony was evacuated late Saturday night after a joint operation by the district administration, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the police.
The building was declared dangerous after signs of structural leaning were identified. Severe cracks had appeared in the structure after the recent monsoon spell.
Read more: Hope fades as Lyari building collapse toll hits 23
An inspection by SBCA engineers declared the building uninhabitable, prompting emergency evacuation. The residents resisted at first but agreed to leave after successful negotiations.
According to South Deputy Commissioner, the building housed 12 flats with 57 residents from 11 families.
The building has now been sealed, its power supply has been disconnected and the water tank has been demolished to prevent further danger.
‘Unfit for living’
Speaking to Express News, Lyari Municipal Officer Hammad ND Khan said that the Sindh government has decided to evacuate all hazardous buildings in Lyari.
He said that a formal operation will be decided on Monday during a meeting chaired by the Sindh chief minister. It is expected that all dangerous buildings will be evacuated in phases and demolished.
He added that the provincial government will develop a policy to provide alternative housing for the residents of these unsafe structures.
Arrangements for temporary accommodation have been made in community centres and hotels for the victims of the collapsed and evacuated buildings, he said. However, most of the affected residents have chosen to stay with their relatives or on-site, he said, adding that TMC Lyari is providing food and other necessities for them.
According to Khan, the rescue operation is likely to be end on Sunday. Legal action will be taken under the law against all those involved in illegal constructions in Lyari, he said.
One affected woman said the temporary shelter at a KMC school in Lyari was “unfit for living”.
Demanding accountability for endangered lives, affected residents have accused SBCA officials of accepting bribes, both during and after the building’s construction, and ignoring clear violations.
After the evacuation, SBCA registered a case at Kalri Police Station against the builder and an unnamed contractor.
The FIR states that substandard materials and illegal construction methods were used, putting residents’ lives at serious risk, thereby necessitating the sealing of the building.
The deputy commissioner said that if any government officials are found complicit in the building’s construction, legal action will also be taken against them. He added that residents will be supported in recovering their financial losses from the builder.