Karachi Red Line BRT Bridge Structure Collapses, Security Guard Killed
KARACHI, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: A section of an under-construction bridge linked to Karachi’s Red Line Bus Rapid Transit project collapsed near Baitul Mukarram Mosque in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on Thursday, killing a security guard working at the site.
The structure collapsed on University Road, prompting an emergency response involving Rescue 1122, police, Rangers, Chhipa, Edhi and other relevant agencies.
Rescue workers launched a search operation amid initial concerns that additional workers could be trapped beneath the concrete debris.
A security guard was found under the collapsed structure and pronounced dead. His body was recovered and transported to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.
Authorities initially feared that more people might have been trapped. Rescue teams carried out a technical search beneath the debris but later confirmed that no evidence of additional trapped people had been found.
Officials subsequently declared the rescue operation complete, with no other deaths or injuries reported.
The identity of the deceased was not immediately established. Police said efforts were underway to identify him.
Authorities confirmed that the collapsed structure was part of the Red Line BRT project. The exact cause of the collapse had not been determined at the time of the initial reports.
The incident occurred near one of the busiest sections of University Road, where construction associated with the long-delayed mass-transit project has continued to affect traffic and daily commuting.
The Red Line project has faced repeated delays and construction challenges since work began in 2022. Its original completion target has already passed.
Work on the project’s Lot 2, which covers the section between Mosamiyat and Numaish, resumed under the Frontier Works Organisation earlier this year after authorities terminated the previous contractor over delays and performance concerns.
The fatal collapse is expected to bring renewed scrutiny to construction-site safety and oversight as work continues on one of Karachi’s major public transport projects.
