Karachi gas explosion: 16 dead, several injured after illegal building collapse

At least 16 people, including women and children, were killed and 14 others injured after a gas explosion caused a partial collapse of a residential building in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar area, Dawn reported on Thursday.The blast occurred around 4.15 am during Sehri at a residence in Gul Rana Colony, according to assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Jamshed Asher. He said the explosion took place on the building’s first floor. The injured and the deceased were shifted to Civil Hospital.Rescue authorities later confirmed that the death toll had risen to 16.Rescue chief operating officer Dr Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh told the media that a gas explosion led to the structure’s partial collapse. He said the ground-plus-two-storey structure comprised small, individual rooms, which made rescue efforts difficult.“This is not a legal building, and the structure is made of individual rooms,” he said, adding that nearby structures were also damaged.According to a list issued by Rescue 1122, the deceased included eight minors, four women and four men, aged between two and 60 years. Among the injured were seven minors. Search and rescue operations were ongoing, with an urban search and rescue team and a disaster response vehicle deployed at the site.A district east police spokesperson said law enforcement personnel cordoned off the area soon after the incident was reported. “Police cordoned off the area and tightened security, while rescue agencies initiated a search and rescue operation,” the spokesperson said.Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah, taking notice of the incident, expressed grief over the loss of lives. He directed authorities to “immediately rescue people trapped under the debris” and ensure the “best possible” medical treatment for the injured. He also ordered support for affected families and asked the Karachi commissioner to investigate the cause. Building collapses remain frequent in Karachi, home to over 20 million people, amid concerns over unsafe construction, illegal structures and ageing infrastructure. In July 2025, at least 27 people were killed when a five-storey building collapsed in Lyari. Authorities had earlier declared the structure uninhabitable. The Sindh Building Control Authority has previously said that 588 buildings across the city had been declared dangerous.