Building collapses in central Pakistan killing at least nine people

A three-story residential building has collapsed in central Pakistan, killing nine people and injuring at least two others, authorities said.

The collapse took place in Multan, a city in the eastern Punjab province, and the rubble from the collapsed building also fell on nearby homes, injuring several people there, said senior government official Rizwan Qadeer.

He said the dead included four members from one family. The reason for the collapse was not immediately known.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where many houses are poorly constructed with cheap building materials and safety guidelines are often ignored to cut costs.

In June 2020, an apartment building collapsed in Karachi, the country’s largest city, killing 22 people.