Karachi BRT Structure Collapse Kills Duty Guard

KARACHI: A duty guard was killed on Thursday after a structure linked to an under-construction Bus Rapid Transit project collapsed near Baitul Mukarram Mosque in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Karachi, rescue officials said.

According to rescue authorities, the man was working at the construction site when the structure came down and trapped him under the debris. Rescue teams reached the location and launched an operation to recover the victim.

Officials said the body was recovered from beneath the collapsed structure and the rescue operation was later completed. They added that no additional casualties or trapped victims were reported after the search at the site.

The collapsed section was described by rescue authorities as part of the city’s Bus Rapid Transit work. Officials did not immediately announce the cause of the collapse, and it was not clear whether a technical inspection had been completed at the time of reporting.

The incident has drawn attention to safety conditions around Karachi’s delayed Red Line BRT work, a major public transport project intended to improve mobility across one of the country’s busiest urban corridors. The project has faced repeated delays, construction difficulties and public criticism over disruption along affected routes.

Work on the project’s Lot 2 section along University Road resumed earlier this year after authorities terminated the previous contractor’s contract because of delays and unsatisfactory performance. The section between Mosamiyat and Numaish has remained among the most challenging parts of the project.

The project was launched in 2022 with an original completion target of 30 months, but that deadline has already passed. Repeated execution problems, work stoppages and disputes have continued to affect progress, while commuters and nearby residents face road congestion and route disruption.

The fatal collapse is expected to increase pressure on authorities to review construction safety standards, contractor performance and site supervision. Further action will depend on technical findings and whether investigators identify negligence, structural weakness or procedural failure behind the incident.