The death toll from the collapse of a five-storey building in Lyari rose to 18 on Saturday.

Rescue operations were ongoing however hopes about the survival of those still believed to be trapped under the Qasr-i-Ruqayya building’s rubble were dim.

Among the nearly half a dozen multi-storey buildings in Street 6 on Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai Road of Musa Lane, the Qasr-i-Ruqayya collapsed in the first half of Thursday when most residents were away from their apartment homes to work.

Most families of 18 apartments of the Qasr-i-Ruqayya are now living in a nearby community hall and mosque while some have shifted to their relatives place.