• Officials say investigation underway; victim’s identity yet to be established
• Opposition parties condemn Sindh govt’s ‘incompetence’

KARACHI: The collapse of the metal “shuttering and scaffolding” of an under-construction bridge of the BRT Red Line on University Road that killed a man on Thursday raised questions over the pace, safety protocols and professional monitoring of the project.

The incident became ambiguous as Rescue 1122 said the victim was a “private security guard” deputed to protect the structure while the project’s executing agency TransKarachi, in its version of the incident, placed the blame on the deceased, claiming that the man was “attempting to remove an iron pipe when the heavy structure slipped”.

According to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, “a security guard was killed after the under-construction bridge structure of the Red Line project collapsed” near Baitul Mukarram mosque in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. The deceased was performing security duties at the site when the structure collapsed, the spokesperson added.

A Rescue 1122 team was dispatched to the site after the Central Command and Control Centre received the report, the spokesperson added.

Authorities admit that work on the affected section and several other sites has remained suspended since the previous contract was cancelled in April 2026 while a new tender is due to be opened on Oct 8, almost six months after the cancellation.

According to the TransKarachi account, work on this section of the Red Line BRT project had been stalled, highlighting the prolonged delays surrounding the project. In a statement, TransKarachi claimed that the victim was attempting to “steal material from the structure when the incident occurred, causing the structure to collapse and resulting in his death”.

“The work has remained stalled following the cancellation of the previous contractor’s contract and a new tender has now been issued to resume the project at the earliest. The tender is scheduled to be opened on October 8, 2026, and the administration is making efforts to complete the process as soon as possible so that work can commence without further delay,” the statement said.

A TransKarachi spokesperson responded in the affirmative when asked by Dawn whether the statement referred to the same tender that was cancelled in April 2026. The statement further said that investigation into the incident was under way while steps were being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“In recent months, drug addicts have periodically been seen stealing from these sites and several individuals have also been apprehended and handed over to the authorities,” the statement added.

“Unfortunately, according to initial information, the accident victim was attempting to remove material from the site when a heavy iron pipe slipped, causing the shuttering and scaffolding to fall on him,” the statement said.

Opposition parties’ reaction

The incident attracted reaction from political parties, with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) expressing grief over the death and calling for a high-level, transparent probe into the collapse.

It also questioned the quality of construction and safety arrangements at the BRT Red Line project. The party demanded legal action against the contractors, engineers and relevant officials if negligence or violations were established.

“The incident is a reflection of the worst incompetence, corruption and administrative mismanagement of the Sindh government,” the party claimed in demanded legal action against the contractors, engineers and relevant officials if negligence or violations were established.

“The incident is a reflection of the worst incompetence, corruption and administrative mismanagement of the Sindh government,” the party claimed in a statement.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Sindh secretary general Sardar Abdul Rahim also condemned the incident, alleging that negligence and poor planning by the Sindh government and contractors had put citizens’ lives at risk.

He called for a transparent investigation and strict action against those found responsible and technical and financial audits of major development projects, including the Red Line BRT.

Jamaat-i-Islami leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karachi City Council Saifuddin Advocate also condemned the incident, criticising the PPP-led Sindh government over “the persistent administrative failures, delays and inadequate safety arrangements surrounding the project”.

He demanded that the authorities determine responsibility for the collapse through an impartial investigation and ensure compensation to the victim’s family.

Meanwhile, Karachi president of the Markazi Muslim League, Ahmed Nadeem Awan, said the incident reflected the hardships caused by the prolonged Red Line project.

He alleged that repeated accidents and delays demonstrated poor planning and governance.

He questioned recent official claims about the near-completion of University Road, saying conditions on the ground told a different story.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026