At least 15 killed in Karachi Soldier Bazaar building collapse following gas explosion

KARACHI: At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed, and 18 others were injured after a gas explosion caused part of a residential building to collapse in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar area, according to officials.

The incident occurred at a residence in the Gul Rana Colony area of Soldier Bazaar. The injured and the deceased were shifted to Civil Hospital.

Initially, Rescue 1122 put the death toll at 16. However, officials later confirmed that the death toll was 15, while 18 others were injured.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jamshed Asher said the incident occurred at around 4:15am during Sehri, and that the gas explosion took place on the building’s first floor.

East Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Abbasi told Dawn that the gas explosion occurred at the time of Sehri in a building located in Gul Rana Colony.

He said it was a highly congested locality where a ground plus three-storey building was constructed on 40-45 yards with one small room on each floor. He said that the explosion destroyed the whole building.

Speaking to Dawn, Abid Farooq, an official from the bomb disposal squad, ruled out the possibility of any sabotage. He stated that the incident was caused by a gas leak; the explosion was triggered by someone lighting a match.

He said that the structure in question was a precast building, covered on all four sides with a narrow street. He said that the gas fittings in the kitchen on the first floor were not upto mark, while plastic pipes were installed for providing gas supply everywhere else. Farooq said that an electric gas pump had also been installed.

Quoting residents, Farooq said there was no gas supply in the area for several days but it suddenly increased on Wednesday night.

Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the residents of the building were buried under the rubble after the explosion, adding that the building was in a dilapidated condition.

He said Gul Rana Colony was spread over two streets in the historic Soldier Bazaar area, with no access for vehicles and tools. He said rescue teams could hear the screams of children and women from the debris. Therefore, they avoided using heavy machinery and preferred to carry out rescue work manually, he said.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed that a total of 15 people were brought dead to Civil Hospital Karachi. The police surgeon said most of the deaths occurred due to injuries to the head.

“Some victims were brought with crush injuries while others had multiple wounds,” Dr Summaiya said.

Soldier Bazaar Station House Officer Rizwan Patel said that a first information report of the incident had not yet been registered. He said legal proceedings would be initiated under the directives of higher authorities.

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dr Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh told Dawn that the search and rescue operation had been completed.

Speaking to the media, COO Shaikh had confirmed that a gas explosion was the cause of the structure’s partial collapse.

He noted that the ground plus two-floor structure had small rooms, and the limited space made the rescue operation challenging.

“This is not a legal building, and the structure is made of individual rooms,” said the senior rescue official, adding that the collapse also damaged surrounding structures.

CM takes notice; temporary rehabilitation ordered

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of lives, said a statement released by the CM House.

The statement added that Murad directed the relevant authorities to “immediately rescue people trapped under the debris” and provide the victims with the “best possible” medical assistance.

Murad also ordered that all possible support be provided to the affected families and instructed the Karachi commissioner to investigate the cause of the incident.

Adviser to CM for Rehabilitation Giyan Chand Essrani, as per a statement from his office, sought reports from Rescue 1122 and the relevant departments over the incident.

“The Rehabilitation Department’s teams are present at the site of the incident to provide immediate relief, temporary accommodation and basic necessities to the affected families,” Essrani said.

He affirmed that his department was working under a “comprehensive plan to provide complete rehabilitation, mental health assistance and necessary facilities” to the affected families.

“The temporary rehabilitation and safe relocation of the affected building’s occupants and nearby residents should be ensured,” Essrani stated.

Condolences

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in their separate statements, expressed their deep grief over the loss of lives in the incident.

In a statement reported by state-run APP, President Zardari conveyed his sympathies to the families of the deceased and directed the relevant authorities to extend the best possible medical care to those injured.

Also directing the acceleration of the rescue operation, the president asked the Sindh government to inspect buildings, ensure the safety of gas cylinders, and strictly enforce building codes.

He said that the provincial government should conduct a thorough investigation into every aspect of the incident and take measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

In his statement, PM Shehbaz offered condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those wounded.

He directed the authorities concerned to provide all possible medical assistance to the injured.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also offered condolences to the families of the deceased, as per a statement issued via PPP’s media cell.

Bilawal stressed the need for effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future, the statement added.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar also expressed grief over the incident. He directed authorities to accelerate the pace of rescue efforts and ensure proper medical care for the injured citizens, said a statement from the minister’s office.

“All updates and details of the relief work should be regularly reported, the home minister directed,” added the statement.

Conveying his condolences, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the provincial government shared the grief of the bereaved families.

He urged citizens to be cautious while using gas and to immediately contact the relevant authorities if they suspected a gas leakage.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also expressed his condolences over the gas explosion, assuring the affected people of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) support.

Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and the use of shoddy construction materials.

But Karachi, home to more than 20m, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding and lax enforcement of building regulations.

In July 2025, at least 27 people died and 10 others were injured after a five-storey building collapsed in the Lyari area of the metropolis.

The building had already been declared uninhabitable by authorities due to its dilapidated structure.

In a statement back then, the Sindh Building Control Authority had noted that 588 buildings had been declared dangerous throughout Karachi.

A month later, four workers of the Awami National Party (ANP) were injured, with one of them suffering severe burn wounds, when a gas explosion caused the collapse of their office in Orangi Town.

In June 2024, following the death of 27 persons, including 19 children, in an explosion in a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder filling shop in Hyderabad, the Sindh government had decided to shift all such facilities from residential areas.