Two days on, people still trapped in Rizvia rubble
Families wait for a miracle as rescue operations continue after building collapse
PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Two days after a residential building collapsed in Rizvia Society, rescuers were still struggling to find several people trapped in the debris on Saturday. Meanwhile, the death toll for the tragedy rose to 19 as two more bodies were retrieved from the rubble.
Those still missing include five members of the family of retired police official Muhammad Ali Veesar. While two of his sons, Zahid and Rashid, survived the incident, leaving home for work in the morning a few hours before the incident, Veesar, his wife, three daughters and two other sons were in their apartment on the first floor of the building when it caved in.
On Thursday evening, rescue teams recovered the body of Iqra, 16, while another body, that of Tariq, 25, was retrieved late on Saturday evening. The rest of the family - Veesar, Zubeda Khatoon, 15-year-old Sumera, 15-year-old Kainat and 30-year-old Sohail - were still under the debris until the filing of this report, with several of their relatives helping officials in the rescue efforts.
Veesar, 62, was a sub-inspector in the Sindh police at the time of his retirement. The family, originally from Shikarpur, had been residing in the provincial capital for the last 20 years.
“The family could have survived if they [the administration] had better coordinated the efforts,” said Veesar’s nephew Khalid. “I did not see them trying to rescue people alive,” he further alleged.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Khalid said that he had repeatedly requested officials to expedite rescue operations to maximise the chances of survival of those still trapped in the debris.
“The rescue work was very slow and the administration has not taken it seriously,” he said, weeping. “We are helping my cousins and trying to give them hope. We are waiting for a miracle.”
Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation medical and health services director Dr Salma Kausar stated that 17 bodies had been brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital until Friday.
Officials stated that rescue operations by the police, Rangers, army, fire department, Sindh Building Control Authority (SCBA) and relief services had been ongoing since the incident occurred, leaving many residents, including at least four children and eight women, dead.
Narrow alleyways restricted the access of heavy machinery to the disaster site, which meant that much of the rubble was being cleared manually, slowing down rescue efforts.
It is not yet confirmed how many people are still trapped in the building.
Protest
The families of the deceased and area residents staged a protest against SCBA officials, demanding the arrest of the building’s owner and compensation for those who lost their loved ones and property in the incident.
They further demanded an inquiry into the negligence of SCBA officials, maintaining that a case should be registered against those government officials who permitted the illegal construction.
The collapsed five-storey building left the adjoining building bent and it is feared that it may collapse, while several parts of a third building have also caved in. Additionally, a fourth building has been declared ‘dangerous.’
On Friday, an FIR, citing negligence, damage to private and public property and deaths due to the incident, was registered against the building’s owner at the Rizvia police station on behalf of the government. The owner is currently on the run.
According to the FIR, the owner, Javed Khan, had committed criminal negligence in the construction of the building, due to which the structure had collapsed. It further states that the building was constructed in violation of regulations, for which various government officials are to blame.
Sources said that police have not traced Khan, adding that he managed to escape from the hospital as he was also among the injured in the incident.
The Rizvia SHO and other police officials were unable to comment on the arrest or other matters pertaining to the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2020.
Two days after a residential building collapsed in Rizvia Society, rescuers were still struggling to find several people trapped in the debris on Saturday. Meanwhile, the death toll for the tragedy rose to 19 as two more bodies were retrieved from the rubble.
Those still missing include five members of the family of retired police official Muhammad Ali Veesar. While two of his sons, Zahid and Rashid, survived the incident, leaving home for work in the morning a few hours before the incident, Veesar, his wife, three daughters and two other sons were in their apartment on the first floor of the building when it caved in.
On Thursday evening, rescue teams recovered the body of Iqra, 16, while another body, that of Tariq, 25, was retrieved late on Saturday evening. The rest of the family - Veesar, Zubeda Khatoon, 15-year-old Sumera, 15-year-old Kainat and 30-year-old Sohail - were still under the debris until the filing of this report, with several of their relatives helping officials in the rescue efforts.
Veesar, 62, was a sub-inspector in the Sindh police at the time of his retirement. The family, originally from Shikarpur, had been residing in the provincial capital for the last 20 years.
“The family could have survived if they [the administration] had better coordinated the efforts,” said Veesar’s nephew Khalid. “I did not see them trying to rescue people alive,” he further alleged.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Khalid said that he had repeatedly requested officials to expedite rescue operations to maximise the chances of survival of those still trapped in the debris.
“The rescue work was very slow and the administration has not taken it seriously,” he said, weeping. “We are helping my cousins and trying to give them hope. We are waiting for a miracle.”
Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation medical and health services director Dr Salma Kausar stated that 17 bodies had been brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital until Friday.
Officials stated that rescue operations by the police, Rangers, army, fire department, Sindh Building Control Authority (SCBA) and relief services had been ongoing since the incident occurred, leaving many residents, including at least four children and eight women, dead.
Narrow alleyways restricted the access of heavy machinery to the disaster site, which meant that much of the rubble was being cleared manually, slowing down rescue efforts.
It is not yet confirmed how many people are still trapped in the building.
Protest
The families of the deceased and area residents staged a protest against SCBA officials, demanding the arrest of the building’s owner and compensation for those who lost their loved ones and property in the incident.
They further demanded an inquiry into the negligence of SCBA officials, maintaining that a case should be registered against those government officials who permitted the illegal construction.
The collapsed five-storey building left the adjoining building bent and it is feared that it may collapse, while several parts of a third building have also caved in. Additionally, a fourth building has been declared ‘dangerous.’
On Friday, an FIR, citing negligence, damage to private and public property and deaths due to the incident, was registered against the building’s owner at the Rizvia police station on behalf of the government. The owner is currently on the run.
According to the FIR, the owner, Javed Khan, had committed criminal negligence in the construction of the building, due to which the structure had collapsed. It further states that the building was constructed in violation of regulations, for which various government officials are to blame.
Sources said that police have not traced Khan, adding that he managed to escape from the hospital as he was also among the injured in the incident.
The Rizvia SHO and other police officials were unable to comment on the arrest or other matters pertaining to the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2020.