Death toll rises to 17 in Pakistan building collapse
Islamabad, Dec 19 (EFE).- The death toll in the Pakistan building collapse a day ago rose to 17 on Sunday, authorities said.
The tragedy left 12 people wounded after a powerful explosion in a drain on Sunday brought the complex down in the southern city of Karachi.
“The death toll has reached to 17. A total of 12 people were injured and as of now three are admitted while the rest were discharged from the hospital after treatment,” a Karachi police officer, Asgher Mehmood, told EFE.
Mehmood said a bomb disposal unit found an explosion due to the gas accumulation in the sewerage line that caused the private bank building to collapse.
“There are no signs of any terror activity behind the explosion,” Mehmood said.
The blast occurred at 1:40 pm local time, leading to the collapse of the building in the Shershah area.
Among the dead are two bank security guards, some employees, and customers inside the building at the time of the explosion.
Building collapses are relatively frequent in Pakistan, mostly are due to the poor condition of complexes, explosions of gas cylinders and installations, and the effects of heavy rains.
In October 2020, at least four people died, and 23 others suffered injuries in an explosion at a five-story residential building in Karachi, the most populous city in Pakistan.
In March 2020, at least 24 people died when another building collapsed in the same city, where the authorities have described 150 residential and office buildings as dangerous. EFE
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