A case was registered at Karachi's Rizvia Police Station on Friday over the collapse of a five-storey residential building in the Gulbahar area of Nazimabad as death toll from the incident rose to 16. On Thursday, the residential building had fallen on two adjacent structures, bringing them to the ground as well.

The FIR registered in the state's name against the building owner includes clauses 322 (causing death without intention), 119 (Qisas), 337 (causing bodily harm), 427 (mischief causing material damage) and 190 (aiding and abetting) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

On Friday, Edhi rescue services said that two more bodies had been taken out from under the debris, bringing the death toll to 16. On Thursday, 17 injured were rescued from the site. Rescue workers retrieved the bodies and the injured from the debris of the collapsed buildings after cutting through iron rods.

Rizvia police said the multi-storey buildings were located in Phool Wali Gali in Gulbahar-1.

Officials said they faced immense difficulty in getting access to the area as it was a highly congested locality where even the streets were impassable. Ambulances were parked at some distance in another street. The wounded people were taken to different hospitals of the city.

In order to avoid more damage to life and property, officials ordered for nearby buildings to be vacated. People from the area told the media that the five-storey "Fatima" building was constructed around three years ago, and a sixth floor was being added when the building came down. Four families were living in the building.

SBCA sources said that the building was constructed on a 66-square-yard plot and interestingly it was officially allowed to build five floors on such a narrow and small space. Additional IG Ghulam Nabi Memon had told reporters on Thursday that police were going to register an FIR against the owner of the building and all those responsible for the tragedy.