Several people were trapped under wreckage as roof of a shop collapsed in Karachi’s area of Garden, during anti-encroachment operation on Saturday. As per details, roof of a shop caved in city’s area of Garden, where the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) had launched an anti-encroachment drive against illegal constructions. Soon after the incident, the rescue teams reached the spot and recovered one from the debris, while the rescue operation was underway. According to the eyewitnesses, shop’s roof collapsed when the people were taking out their valuables. The city officials in their anti-encroachment exercise are likely to raze up to 500 shops and offices illegally built along the boundary wall of the Karachi Zoo. This is part of their anti-encroachment operation being carried out across the city after the apex court’s ruling. According to shopkeepers, the KMC had earlier served them notices to vacate the shops within one month but now they have abruptly slashed the deadline for removal of their shops. The shops, as per the shopkeepers, were rented out to them by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in 1960s. Since then tenants of these shops have been conducting businesses at these shops. However, the city authority had recently cancelled the tenancy contracts. Published in Daily Times, January 6th 2019.