16 Killed in Pakistan Apartment Building Collapse

Rescue teams in Pakistan worked in searing heat and humidity on July 5 to extricate residents trapped under the rubble of an apartment building that collapsed, killing 16 people.

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KARACHI -

The authorities said the five-story building had been declared unsafe and eviction notices were sent to occupants over three years, but landlords and some residents told AFP they had not received them.

Residents reported hearing cracking sounds shortly before the apartment block crumbled around 10 a.m. on July 4 in Karachi's impoverished Lyari neighborhood.

The death toll stood at 16 on July 5, with 13 injured, according to Dr. Summaiya Syed, police surgeon for the provincial health department.

"My daughter is under the rubble," 54-year-old Dev Raj told AFP at the scene. "She is my beloved daughter. She got married just six months ago."