The sudden collapse of the five-storey residential building in Lyari, Karachi, is tragic not only because some 19 bodies have been pulled out of the rubble — with more expected — but also because the devastation could have been avoided had proper checks, balances and management been put in place by all the relevant authorities. There were just too many loopholes when it came to the safety of the hapless residents. The building was poorly constructed and had managed to spend 25 years on rocky foundations. It had been labelled ‘dangerous’ in a recent survey, but the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had failed to issue notices to the residents about the building’s lack of safety. As if all this was not enough, sewage had been seeping into the foundations of the building for God knows how long. All these criminal acts of negligence and ill planning have cost a number of people their lives. Who will answer for this?This is not the only building in the area that has suffered this fate — three other buildings have also collapsed in previous years due to their structural inadequacy and lack of required planning. It is appalling that civic bodies, perceived the world over as putting the needs of the citizen first, in Pakistan are little more than dud organisations that exist to better no one but themselves. The negligence in the proper working of the sewerage system that caused the foundations of the building to weaken due to seepage is most appalling as it shows that the SBCA included, no one seems to be doing their job. The Lyari building collapse has led to an enormous loss of life. It has highlighted how cheap life has become and how the old regime that once existed of maintaining safety precautions and ensuring proper civic management has all but disappeared. A complete investigation into the matter must be conducted to find out exactly what happened and who should be held responsible for this calamity. *