Rescue 1122 spokesperson says search operation to recover other people trapped under debris underway
At least 10 people were killed and six others injured after a three-storey building collapsed in Lahore’s Baghbanpura area on Wednesday night, according to Lahore Rescue 1122.
Lahore Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said the emergency response team pulled out 16 people from the rubble; six were pronounced dead on site while the rest were shifted to the hospital for further treatment, adding that a search operation to recover other people trapped under the debris was underway.
“Later, four more people succumbed to injuries at the hospital, raising the death toll to 10,” he said, adding that currently the Lahore Services Hospital was hosting four more people for the treatment of critical injuries, whereas two other persons have been discharged.
A list issued by the spokesperson identified the deceased as: 45-year-old Shahida Bibi, wife of Muhammad Shahid; 45-year-old Samina Bibi, wife of Abbas Ali; 22-year-old Mujahid, son of Shahid; 7-year-old Hamid, son of Abbas; Komal, daughter of Abbas; 10-year-old Hasnain, son of Shahid; 10-year-old Neelam, daughter of Abbas; 22-year-old Ahad Ali, son of Shahid Ali; 18-year-old Ayesha Bibi; and 72-year-old Naseem Bibi, wife of the late Meraj.
Those critically injured have been identified as Saniya Bibi, Sehar Bibi, Zahid and Sabir Ali by the rescue services.
When questioned about the total number of people present at the time of collapse, Ahmad said, “Rescue 1122 is only aware of people recovered from the collapsed building and is unsure how many people were actually present at the time of the incident.”
Read: Death toll from rains, flash floods rises to 110 across Pakistan
Police told The Express Tribune that the roof of the dilapidated residence building caved in the Kotli Pir Abdul Rehman area at around 10:15pm, causing the entire building to collapse.
According to police, members of a multigenerational family living in the residence on different floors were trapped after the building caved in. Police revealed that an immediate rescue operation was launched to recover the victims from the rubble.
Read more: Listen to the buildings – please!
The city commissioner visited the hospital and the site of the incident late at night and met survivors rescued from the collapsed building.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Malik Waheed also visited the accident site and assured relatives of those stuck inside the rubble that every possible assistance would be provided for recovering the victims.
The latest incident came just weeks after another fatal roof collapse in Lahore. On June 30, at least 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre operating in a dilapidated building collapsed in Kahna.
Later, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered an immediate safety audit of all school buildings located in densely populated areas across the province in the wake of the tragedy.
It is worth noting that at least half of the 100-plus monsoon-related deaths were caused by house and roof collapses, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
