High-rise building in Karachi’s DHA area tilts, triggers fear among residents

A three-storey high-rise building in the main Khayaban-i-Shamsher area of Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area was reported to have tilted to one side, presumably due to the construction of another building on a nearby plot, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident triggered fear and anxiety among people in the locality, eyewitnesses told Dawn.com.

The station house officer (SHO) of the Darakshan police station, Shoaib Rehman, said that a police team inspected the “dilapidated” building at 6pm today, revealing that it was vacant as no one was living there, nor there were any offices situated inside it.

He told Dawn.com that since there were no occupants, rumours about the building being evacuated were untrue.

The police officer said that concerned experts were in a better position to point out the exact reasons for the structure’s tilting. “Another building was apparently being constructed on a plot near the affected building because of which it had presumably titled.”

Rehman added that there was apprehension that the said building would collapse at any time. “All concerned institutions have been informed about the incident,” he said.

Meanwhile, a man living in the area pointed out that the building was located adjacent to the old Cafe Zouk near Cafe Clifton.

“The cafe was razed and a new building is being constructed in its place,” he said, adding that the plot in question had been “heavily waterlogged” during the rains.

Last month, a labourer died and 10 people were left injured after a multi-storey under-construction building collapsed in Surjani Town. The first information report (FIR) said that the building collapsed due to the use of substandard material and negligence of the builder and contractors.

On July 13, a man was killed when a multi-storey dilapidated building collapsed in old city area of Lyari.