Death toll from Pakistan building collapse rises to 22

Pakistani rescuers recovered nine more bodies from beneath rubble of a building that collapsed earlier this week in sourn port city of Karachi, bringing death toll to 22, officials said Wednesday. re are fears re may be more bodies. building collapsed on Sunday and it was unclear how many people were inside at time. It h 40 apartments and most of m were empty because it was recently ordered vacated after it was declared unsafe in March, following cracks that h emerged on roofs and walls.

Rescue workers used heavy machinery and were still removing rubble, searching for more victims, according to police and Edhi Foundation, which owns and runs Pakistan’s largest private ambulance service. earlier reported death toll h stood at 13.

Altaf Hussain, a senior police official, said building collapsed after some of its residents went back inside to try and retrieve some of ir belongings.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan as many are poorly constructed with cheap building materials and safety guidelines are igred to cut costs.

Also in Karachi, a multistory building that was undergoing ditional constructions and expansion, collapsed in March, killing at least 11 people, including women and children.