Karachi’s South District Seems Hanging by Thread
Sources said that the main cause behind the subsided is the gas explosion in the sewerage system that was long due for maintenance
One of the oldest and busiest markets in Karachi, Jubilee Market, which is constructed over a drain, caved in and as a result some 11 shops subsided after a blast.
These shops dealt with unstitched clothes, sewing machines, and electronic items.
Sources have confirmed that the main reason behind the sunk lower was the gas pressure. It occurred as the sewers right in front of the Jubilee Cinema hasn’t been cleaned since decades.
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Although the people inside the shops made successful escape at the time it subsided but the goods inside them were destroyed, causing a huge amount of loss to the owners.
The officials of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Anti-Encroachment department immediately cordoned off the area and served an eviction notice to the shop owners in light of the directions of the Supreme Court (SC).
Moreover, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) technical team will estimate the damage status and decide whether to reopen the market or shut it permanently.
Similar to Jubilee Market, Urdu Bazaar and Saddar mobile market are also built over Nullahs.
The incident in the Jubilee market isn’t the first one involving building collapse or sink down due to blast in sewers as previous records show that multiple mishaps of similar nature have occurred in South district of Karachi.
Back in April, at least 12 commercial buildings were gutted and two razed to the ground after a massive fire ripped through the old Urdu Bazaar.
The buildings that were damaged in the fire housed stationery shops, printing presses, bookshops, stores as well as bakeries, and decoration items usually used in wedding functions.
In addition to it, a portion of mobile market in Saddar sunk lower into the ground after a loud gas explosion that occurred in the sewer system of an old building in 2016 and some 49 shops were destroyed in the incident.
Sources confirmed that the building was in a dilapidated condition and could not bear the effects of the explosion.
