‘It was an accident waiting to happen’: Death Toll from Varkhir Refugee Shelter Collapse Feared Above 78
Varkhir, Mitallduk — Two days after the collapse of a packed refugee reception center in southern Mitallduk, the death toll remains unclear but is feared to be over 78. Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by a sudden militia takeover of the site, further complicating what was already one of the gravest humanitarian episodes of the ongoing Cordilian refugee crisis.
The shelter, built hastily on the grounds of a disused steel factory near the Varkhir rail corridor, gave way late Sunday under the weight of thousands crammed inside. Survivors described a thunderous crash as upper levels caved in, igniting fires that spread quickly through makeshift partitions.
“Families were sleeping on the floor, stacked side by side. When the beams snapped, there was nowhere to run,” said one survivor reached by phone. “We clawed through smoke and rubble, but people were screaming beneath us. I was terrified”
Emergency responders initially rushed to the scene, but within hours armed fighters from a local HK-affiliated militia encircled the area.
Checkpoints now control all roads into the camp. Witnesses and aid workers report militia units diverting supplies meant for civilians into their own vehicles. International monitors say at least three ambulances carrying the wounded were turned back at gunpoint.
“This is a blatant hijacking of humanitarian relief,” said a World Forum (WF) field officer in nearby Larkhat, who requested anonymity for security reasons. “We are hearing of children left untreated because militias will not allow medical teams inside.”
The Mitallduk provisional government in Med Karazh has denounced the militia’s actions as “predatory opportunism.” Officials are appealing to international partners to pressure militia leaders to relinquish control of the site and permit neutral relief operations.
Health organizations operating in southern Mitallduk warn of a cascading emergency. With hundreds of survivors displaced by the collapse and denied consistent access to water, food, or medical care, the risk of secondary outbreaks of disease is growing.
Preliminary reports estimate at least 76 confirmed fatalities, though local NGOs warn the number could be far higher once rubble is cleared. Dozens more remain unaccounted for. One aid worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "The center wasn’t built for this. There were too many people, no WF or Zuhlgani reinforcements, and basically zero oversight. It was an accident waiting to happen.”
“Rescue has effectively halted,” said a regional coordinator for Cordilian Human Rights Watch. “We cannot safely access the site, and the militia appears more interested in consolidating its authority than saving lives.”
The collapse is stoking wider tensions across the peninsula.
In Krauanagaz, lawmakers are calling for immediate parliamentary debate on whether deportations from Krautallaz and other provinces contributed to overcrowding in unsafe Mitallduk facilities.
While in Zuhlgan, state media has described the incident as “a tragedy born from foreign meddling and mismanagement,” defending the Dominion’s ongoing deportations as “lawful and orderly.”
Analysts warn the incident may embolden militias who now see control of refugee sites as both a tactical and political prize. Satellite imagery reviewed Monday morning shows fresh defensive positions erected near the camp, including sandbagged emplacements and vehicle barricades.
The World Forum’s humanitarian office has urged “immediate, unfettered access” for aid agencies. Several governments are reportedly weighing whether to dispatch emergency airlifts of supplies to nearby towns not under militia control.
“This collapse is not just a structural failure,” said a spokesperson for Refugees Without Borders. “It is the collapse of protection, dignity, and international responsibility. Unless action is taken in days, not weeks, more lives will be lost.”
For now, southern Mitallduk remains on edge. With the rubble still smoldering, the camp under militia occupation, and thousands more refugees streaming toward the corridor, the tragedy of Varkhir threatens to become a grim turning point in a crisis already stretching the region to its limits.