By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least nine people were killed and more than 20 injured when the roof of a warehouse in southern Pakistan collapsed on Wednesday, police and local media reported.
The fatalities include six women and two minor girls.
The incident occurred at a dates market in Sukkur district of southern Sindh province, located some 500 kilometers (310.68 miles) from the country’s commercial capital Karachi. Sukkur and its adjoining areas are famous for date production.
More than 60 laborers, mostly women, were working at the warehouse owned by a firm involved in the date-processing business, District Commissioner Mohammad Usman Chachar said in a statement.
The warehouse was operating illegally as it had been sealed by the district administration a month ago due to its crumbling condition, he added.
Rescue workers, who were later joined by army troops, have pulled out 21 workers from the rubble. Some are in critical condition, he said.
Several people are still trapped under the debris, raising fears that the death toll may rise.
Police is on the lookout for the owner of the warehouse who is at large.
Pakistan has a poor track record for workplace safety.
More than 250 laborers were killed when a huge fire tore through a garment factory in Karachi in 2012.