logo
Survivors grieve, worry about future after deadly building collapse in Pakistan

Survivors grieve, worry about future after deadly building collapse in Pakistan

Straits Times3 days ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The collapsed building had been home to about 100 residents.
KARACHI - Survivors of a building collapse that killed 27 people in the Pakistani city of Karachi were trying on July 7 to come to terms with the loss of loved ones and their homes.
The five-storey building collapsed on July 4 in the overcrowded inner-city Lyari district where many working-class and poor families live in ageing apartment blocks.
The site is now a tangle of twisted metal, shattered concrete and scattered belongings, schoolbooks, shoes and sewing machines.
On July 7, rescue officials said the
death toll had reached 27 and dozens of people were being housed in makeshift shelters following the building's collapse and the evacuation of nearby buildings over structural fears.
"I grew up in that building. I knew everyone who lived there," said Mr Imdad Hussain, 28, a fisherman who lost neighbours, childhood friends and seven members of his extended family.
He is now sheltering with relatives, and family members are in mourning as they try to figure out what the future holds.
"We've lost our home, our people. I don't know how we'll start again," he said.
Officials in Karachi, the capital of the southeastern province of Sindh, said the building had received multiple evacuation notices since 2023, including a final one in late June.
Mr Saeed Ghani, Provincial Minister of Sindh for Local Governments, said the Karachi commissioner - who oversees the city administration - had been tasked with inspecting 51 buildings identified as "extremely dangerous" to prevent similar collapses.
Residents said the building in Lyari, which has been home to generations of working-class families from minority and migrant backgrounds, shook violently on July 4 before collapsing in a cloud of dust.
Rescue workers had been digging through the debris since July 4 but declared the search over late on July 6.
They said about 100 residents from 12 families had been living in the building, and nearly 50 more families had been displaced after three neighbouring buildings were declared unsafe and evacuated.
Ms Lakshmi, a school janitor who lived next door to the collapsed building, said her sister had lived in the building that came down and called moments before it fell to say it was shaking.
Her sister survived, but Ms Lakshmi feared losing the gold she had left with her for safekeeping before her daughter's wedding.
"We got out with our lives, but everything else is gone, with no certainty about what is to come," she said. REUTERS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mexican fishermen join fight to save extraordinary amphibian
Mexican fishermen join fight to save extraordinary amphibian

Straits Times

time37 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Mexican fishermen join fight to save extraordinary amphibian

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Overfishing, pollution and reduced water levels in Lake Patzcuaro, its only natural habitat, mean that the achoque is listed as critically endangered. MEXICO - After decades working as a fisherman on a high-altitude Mexican lake, Mr Froylan Correa is now helping to save an endangered amphibian with gills resembling a lion's mane and a remarkable regenerative ability. The achoque, also known as the Lake Patzcuaro salamander, is a lesser known relative of the axolotl, the small friendly-faced amphibian battling extinction in Mexico City. Overfishing, pollution and reduced water levels in Lake Patzcuaro, its only natural habitat, mean that the achoque is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In an attempt to prevent it disappearing, biologists from Michoacana University decided to pay the local Indigenous community of San Jeronimo Purenchecuaro to help the achoque to reproduce. Mr Correa, who knows the lake in the western state of Michoacan like the back of his hand, has a new job as an amphibian egg collector. Now in his 60s, he remembers when the waters teemed with fish and there was no need to worry for the salamander. 'There used to be a lot of achoques,' he told AFP. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing Asia Dr Mahathir at 100: Still haunted by the Malay Dilemma Singapore What's next for PSP following its post-GE leadership shake-up? Singapore 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Singapore Apex court upholds SMC's conviction of doctor who gave patients unapproved hormones Singapore Singaporean fugitive arrested in Thailand for suspected drug trafficking and handed over to CNB World Trump issues tariff notices to 7 minor trading partners, hits Brazil with 50% tariff 'Now the new generation doesn't know about it.' From lab to lake After the eggs are collected, biologist Rodolfo Perez takes them to his laboratory at Michoacana University to hatch, in the hope of giving the achoques a better chance of surviving. After the hatchlings have grown enough, they are moved to the community's achoque protection reserve, where the fishermen care for them until they are ready to be released into the lake, said Israel Correa, a relative of Dr Froylan Correa. The achoque belongs to the Ambystoma group, keenly studied by scientists for an extraordinary ability to regenerate mutilated limbs and parts of organs such as the brain and heart. If one loses a tail, it quickly grows another. That has made the salamanders a subject of fascination for scientists hoping to learn lessons that could apply to humans. Since pre-Hispanic times, the achoque has been a source of food as well as a remedy used by Indigenous people for respiratory illnesses. Its skin colour allows it to blend into its natural habitat. According to a local legend, the achoque was first an evil god who hid in the lake mud to escape the punishment of other deities. Dr Perez is trying to hatch as many eggs as possible with the help of the locals to prevent its extinction. 'It's been a lot of work,' he said, adding that the biggest challenge is finding money to compensate the fishermen, since the achoques require constant care. Collaboration between scientists and the local community has helped to stabilize the achoque population, according to the researchers. There are an estimated 80 to 100 individuals who live in a small part of the lake, said Dr Luis Escalera, another biologist at Michoacana University. The number, however, is 'much lower than it was 40 years ago', he said. For the fishermen fighting to save them, it is a labour of love. 'We can't miss a day without coming because otherwise they'll die,' Israel Correa said at the achoque protection reserve on the shores of Lake Patzcuaro. 'Come rain or shine, even if there's a festival, we have to be here.' AFP

Celebrating SG60: 12 key objects from Singapore's 60-year history
Celebrating SG60: 12 key objects from Singapore's 60-year history

Straits Times

time7 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Celebrating SG60: 12 key objects from Singapore's 60-year history

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (Clockwise from left) The first post-independence National Registration Identity Cards, Changi Airport Terminal 2's flight information board, and thermometers used against Sars in 2003. SINGAPORE – The Straits Times' interactive gathers together 60 objects, one for each year of the nation's history. Here is a sneak peek at some of the objects, one for each decade of the country's independence. 1965 to 1975 Old National Registration Identity Card First issued in 1966, the pink cards carried a photograph of the person on the left and his or her thumbprint on the right. The first post-independence National Registration Identity Cards (NRICs) were made of laminated paper. At 6.4cm by 10.4cm, the I-cards – as they were known then – were slightly bigger than today's standard credit card-size plastic cards. A total of 1,232,705 cards were issued after the National Registration Act of 1965 came into effect. The first IC number, S0000001/I, was issued to Singapore's first president, the late Mr Yusof Ishak. The massive exercise took place in three phases – starting in early May with schoolchildren and teachers, followed by workers in the second phase and members of the public in the third. It was known as a national 're-registration' exercise because identity cards existed even before independence. – Shawn Hoo Pierre Balmain kebaya SIA flight attendants line up to welcome drivers before the night race of the Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sept 18, 2016. PHOTO: ST FILE Mention Singapore Airlines and the first image that pops to mind is of the Singapore Girl, clad in her signature Pierre Balmain-designed kebaya. Before the French designer came on board in 1968, Singapore Airlines flight attendants wore kebaya made of different batik. Balmain introduced a streamlined crew neckline for the kebaya top and the fabric was standardised to a unifying print. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700 Singapore COE prices rise for all categories Singapore Govt watching job situation for fresh graduates closely, exploring further support: Gan Siow Huang Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student Singapore People working in air-conditioned spaces prefer 24 deg C and warmer: Survey The uniform has remained the same, although there was a change in footwear following the 2000 crash of Singapore Airlines Flight 006 in Taipei. Open-toed sandals were exchanged for new slingbacks, also designed by Balmain, which were safer as they stayed strapped to the feet. – Ong Sor Fern 1975 to 1985 Big Mac Styrofoam box When the first McDonald's outlet in Singapore opened in 1979, it had six burgers on the menu, including the Big Mac. PHOTO: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE A symbol of globalisation, American fast-food giant McDonald's is so ubiquitous in global consciousness that the price of a Big Mac is sometimes used to compare relative purchasing power between countries. In 1979, Singapore joined in the craze when the first McDonald's outlet opened at Liat Towers in Orchard Road. There were six burgers on the menu. Each was presented in a colourful foam box or wrapping paper, and priced between 75 cents and $1.70. Today, there are more than 135 McDonald's outlets in Singapore. – Clement Yong Changi Airport Terminal 2 flight information board Changi Airport was built in a record time of six years. PHOTO: NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD Changi Airport was officially opened by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on Dec 29, 1981. It was built in a record time of six years, an impressive achievement considering land had to be reclaimed for its construction and there was a shortage of manpower and materials at the time. Changi Airport replaced Paya Lebar Airport, which had been operational since 1955. It was obvious by the 1970s that Paya Lebar Airport would not be able to cope with increasing air traffic. By 1986, Changi Airport was serving 10 million passengers a year. In the financial year ending March 2025, the airport clocked 68.4 million passenger movements and Changi Airport Group recorded a net profit of $841 million. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong broke ground on Changi Airport's fifth terminal on May 14, 2025. The mega-terminal, which will be as big as Terminals 1 to 4 combined, will open in the 2030s. The aim is to serve 140 million passengers yearly, over 55 per cent more than the airport's present capacity of 90 million. – Ong Sor Fern 1985 to 1995 Zouk main signage in Jiak Kim Street Nightclub Zouk opened in Jiak Kim Street in 1991 and was named one of the top three dance clubs in the world in 1999. PHOTO: NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD Zouk made Singapore cool. Opened in 1991 in Jiak Kim Street, the $8 million club revitalised three dilapidated warehouses and revolutionised the party scene with its cutting-edge programming of music and events. By 1995, up to 10,000 people were thronging Zouk's premises each weekend. This now-retired 4m-long signage in Jiak Kim Street would have been the backdrop to many a new friendship cemented, lovers' tiffs and drunken merriment. The club was Singapore's international claim to being a legitimate party town. British magazine The Face named it Singapore's best club in 1994, while British dance music magazine Ministry crowned it one of the top three dance clubs on the planet in 1999. It moved to its current Clarke Quay location in 2016 and, today, faces stiff competition from a more diversified nightlife scene, as well as the teetotal tendencies of Gen Zs. – Clement Yong Hand-built model of old Woodbridge Hospital This model of the old Woodbridge Hospital, currently housed at IMH's Woodbridge Museum, was made by patients in the 1970s as part of their occupational therapy. PHOTO: INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH Founded as the 30-bed Insane Hospital at the junction of Bras Basah Road and Bencoolen Street in 1841, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) – Singapore's only tertiary hospital specialising in psychiatry – has cycled through names and locations throughout its storied history. It was called the Lunatic Asylum and Mental Hospital at various points, until the hospital was renamed Woodbridge Hospital in 1951 to shake off the stigma. It was so called as its Yio Chu Kang site was near a stream with a wooden bridge. This model of the old Woodbridge Hospital, currently housed at IMH's Woodbridge Museum, was made by patients in the 1970s as part of their occupational therapy. – Shawn Hoo 1995 to 2005 First Build-To-Order projects in Sengkang and Sembawang Rivervale Green is one of the first cluster of flats built under the BTO system. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN If you live in Rivervale Green, Compassvale Arcadia or Sembawang's Spring Lodge, you are living in a piece of Singapore history – the first flats to be sold under the BTO scheme in 2001. Prior to the creation of the BTO system, the Registration for Flats system had one major downside: Buyers did not know where exactly their flats would be and could select only from a broad geographical area. However, the waiting times then were shorter because the flats were completed or under construction. Applying for a prospective BTO flat is now a rite of passage for young couples, with the purchase of a unit becoming synonymous with a marriage proposal. Singaporean poet Joshua Ip's humorous poem chope sums it up: 'is there an issue of sincerity / if over coffee, talk turns by and by / towards the prospect of a hdb?' – Shawn Hoo Thermometer and temperature-taking notebook Thermometers like this one were important pieces in Singapore's fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003. PHOTO: NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD Before Covid-19, there was the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which breached Singapore's borders in February 2003 when three infected Singaporeans returned from a holiday in Hong Kong. Within five days, a former flight attendant then in her early 20s, identified as the 'index case', had infected 20 contacts, who in turn transmitted the virus to 71 others. Over three months – until the World Health Organisation declared Singapore Sars-free in May – 238 cases were reported, including 33 deaths. The lessons learnt during the containment of Sars in 2003, such as contact tracing and temperature taking, would be applied during the Covid-19 pandemic, though it also posed problems where the two viruses diverged. One of the most enduring pop-culture contributions to come out of the Sars epidemic was a rap by Phua Chu Kang, the comic alter ego of actor Gurmit Singh: 'Some say 'leh', some say 'lah'. Uncle Phua says time to fight Sars.' – Clement Yong 2005 to 2015 Red Box No. 1 Mr Lee Kuan Yew had used the red box to carry and store files and papers that he was working on. PHOTO: NATIONAL COLLECTION Singapore's first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, died of pneumonia aged 91 at Singapore General Hospital on March 23, 2015. His death coincided with the 50th anniversary of Singapore's independence. Of its five decades, Mr Lee had been leader for 25 years, handing over the reins to Mr Goh Chok Tong in 1990. This red box had been used by the late Mr Lee to carry and store files and papers that he was working on. Though red dispatch boxes were issued to ministers to transport official documents, Mr Lee was one of its most consistent users. Mr Heng Swee Keat, who was Mr Lee's principal private secretary, wrote in a tribute that 'a good part of my daily life revolved around the red box', which always reached Mr Lee's office before him at 9am, setting off a flurry of activity among his secretaries and assistants. In addition to papers, it also held the cassette tapes on which Mr Lee had dictated instructions and thoughts for later transcription. His instructions ranged from communications with foreign leaders to trees he had seen on the expressway. – Clement Yong Aware T-shirt Aware's Shut Up And Sit Down T-shirt. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG It was the saga that launched a thousand memes, including the now-infamous call to 'shut up and sit down', reclaimed as a badge of pride on an Aware T-shirt that is sold in its online store. A dramatic coup happened on March 28, 2009, when a flood of new members were voted in at Aware's annual general meeting and snatched nine out of 12 positions on the executive committee. The ease with which the newcomers had taken over Aware served as a wake-up call for other civil society groups to tighten their processes. The new guard's moves to seize a secular space to promote their conservative agenda were met with critical backlash from Singapore society. The saga proved that Singaporeans would protect secular spaces from religious intrusions, a critically important distinction in multiracial and multi-religious Singapore. – Ong Sor Fern 2015 to 2025 Singapore passport In 2025, the Singapore passport was ranked the most powerful in the world by the Henley Passport Index, with Singaporeans enjoying visa-free entry to 195 out of 227 travel destinations PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO With Paraguay removing visa requirements for Singaporeans in 2017, the red Singapore passport became the most powerful in the world, according to an index developed by global advisory firm Arton Capital. It marked the first time that an Asian country held the most powerful passport. In 2025, the Singapore passport was again ranked the most powerful in the world by the Henley Passport Index, with Singaporeans enjoying visa-free entry to 195 out of 227 travel destinations. The high level of global mobility for Singapore passport holders can be attributed to a combination of the city-state's robust diplomatic and economic relations, as well as the cutting-edge security features of the Singapore passport. Today, Singapore passport holders have to apply for a visa to only 32 destinations, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, India and North Korea. – Shawn Hoo Joseph Schooling's autographed swimming shorts from the 2016 Rio Olympics Swimmer Joseph Schooling's pair of swimming shorts that he wore at the Rio Olympics is on display at the National Museum of Singapore's Once Upon A Tide exhibition until Oct 9, 2026. PHOTO: NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD The greatest moment in Singapore sport came on Aug 12, 2016, as a belated birthday gift to the nation. Swimmer Joseph Schooling flew across the pool at the Rio Olympics, setting an Olympic record and bringing home Singapore's first and only Olympic gold. Right after his historic feat, the 21-year-old – who outswam his American idol Michael Phelps – told Singapore media: 'This swim wasn't for me. It's for my country.' The medal rests in a safe in his parents' office, but Singaporeans can catch a glimpse of the piece of swimwear which made history. Schooling donated the autographed pair of swimming shorts – an electric-blue Mizuno – that he wore during that race. It is on display at the National Museum of Singapore's Once Upon A Tide exhibition until Oct 9, 2026. – Shawn Hoo

Vatsala, elephant touted oldest in captivity, dies aged over 100
Vatsala, elephant touted oldest in captivity, dies aged over 100

Straits Times

time16 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Vatsala, elephant touted oldest in captivity, dies aged over 100

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Vatsala was believed to have been born in the forests of Nilambur, Kerala sometime in the 1920s. Vatsala, thought to be the world's oldest elephant in captivity, died on July 8 at a wildlife sanctuary in India's Madhya Pradesh state. She was believed to be over 100 years old, though there are no records proving that as fact. The Guinness World Record holder for oldest elephant in captivity is still Lin Wang. He died at a zoo in Taiwan in 2003 aged 86, and served with the British Army in World War II. Dakshyani – another elephant in India – had also been in the running for the title. She, too, died in captivity in 2019, and her supporters said she managed to reach the ripe old age of 88. As far as the state government of Madhya Pradesh is concerned, however, Vatsala surpassed these two – all three were Asian elephants – in age by about 20 years. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700 Singapore COE prices rise for all categories Asia Malaysia confirms existence of document central to ex-PM Najib's house arrest bid, say reports Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student Singapore Goodbye fraudsters? Dating app Coffee Meets Bagel rolls out identity verification Asia Amid handshakes and familiar friends, Asean navigates tariffs and tension in KL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a post on X, said: 'The century-long companionship of Vatsala came to a pause.' 'She was not merely an elephant; she was the silent guardian, a friend to generations and a symbol of Madhya Pradesh's emotions,' he said. If she indeed reached the century mark, she would have lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and 18 American presidents. Elephants live on average for about 50 to 70 years. Wildlife experts say that by the age of 70, elephants typically lose their tusks. Vatsala had been without tusks since 2000. She was believed to have been born in the late 1910s in the forests of Nilambur, Kerala. She was brought to Narmadapuram city, in Madhya Pradesh, in 1971 to haul timber. Going by Indian officials and wildlife experts' estimates , she was already in her 50s. In 1993, she was moved to the Panna Tiger Reserve where she helped rangers track tigers. She retired in 2003. The years that followed saw her play the role of 'Dadi Maa' (grandmother in Hindi ) to young elephants and calves at an elephant sanctuary, where she was a top tourist attraction. 'She had a motherly nature. I've seen her lovingly caress and guide the young ones as if they were her own. Her death is an emotional loss for the reserve staff and others who knew her,' said wildlife conservationist Rajesh Dixit. 'It is sad that her name could not be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records,' he said. Vatsala slipped into a drain and suffered injuries a few days prior to her death . She was given round-the-clock medical care and a special fruit-and-porridge diet, but her condition deteriorated. Cataracts also affected her vision and limited her mobility. Vatsala was cremated at the Hinauta elephant camp that had been her home for decades.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store