An under-construction structure of Karachi’s Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project collapsed near Bait-ul-Mukarram Mosque in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on Thursday, killing a security guard who was deployed at the construction site. Rescue 1122 confirmed the fatality.
According to Rescue 1122, the guard became trapped beneath the debris after the structure suddenly collapsed. Rescue teams were dispatched to the site after the incident was reported through the Central Command and Control Centre. The victim’s body was recovered from the rubble and shifted to hospital for medico-legal formalities.
Rescue officials later said the search operation had been completed and no other people were found trapped under the debris. Authorities have not yet announced the cause of the collapse.
The incident has also affected traffic movement in the area. The road from Civic Centre towards NIPA was temporarily closed because of debris from the collapsed structure and repair work at the site.
The collapsed structure was part of the Red Line BRT project, which is being developed along a route of around 27 kilometres from Malir Halt to Numaish through University Road. The project was launched in 2022 and was initially scheduled for completion earlier, but construction has faced repeated delays linked to contractor issues, rising costs, land acquisition, utility relocation and other implementation challenges.
Work on the stalled portions of the project resumed in November 2025, while the Frontier Works Organisation later took up work on parts of the route. The latest incident comes as authorities continue efforts to complete the project and improve traffic flow on University Road, a major route used by thousands of commuters.
The cause of Thursday’s collapse remains under investigation, and no official finding has yet been issued regarding why the structure gave way.
