Two sisters were killed when a swing collapsed in New Sabzi Mandi area on the third day of Eid.
Police have registered a case against five named and two unidentified suspects including the contractor and owner of the swing and arrested the latter. Police handed over the bodies to the heirs after completing legal formalities.
According to the police report, seven-year-old Pappi died when the swing set up at a family festival on Faisalabad Road in New Sabzi Mandi fell down, while her sister Nawab Bibi was critically injured and died in a hospital later.
Deputy Commissioner Ali Ijaz cancelled the festival and ordered an inquiry.
On the orders of District Police Officer Faisal Shehzad, Saddar police registered a case against two unidentified suspects along with Dildar, Hakim, Allah Ditta, Haq Nawaz and Ajab Khan on the complaint of the girls’ father Jalaluddin, a resident of Nowshera. The police arrested the owner of the swing, Ajab Khan.
The case was registered under Section 322 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against the suspects. Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the Sahiwal regional police officer and commissioner.
Read Five children die in two separate incidents
Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said while commenting on the incidents that it was necessary to get a certificate before installing a swing. If not, a case should be registered against the DC and if the certificate was issued, a case should be registered against the issuer of the certificate, he tweeted.
The hospital administration later handed over the bodies to heirs after postmortem under police supervision.
The DC said permission had been given for the family festival and an inquiry had been ordered into the incident in which the girls fell down from the swing.
Action would be taken against those responsible in the light of the inquiry report, he added. The district administration immediately revoked the permission for the festival. The official said all the facts relted to the incident would be brought to light.
In an earlier similar accident, a man was killed and 30 people, including women and children, were injured at Jinnah Park in Multan on September 15, 2016. Rescue teams took the injured to Nishtar Hospital.
Doctors at the hospital said that 16 people had suffered minor injuries, while 12 children, a man and a woman were taken to the emergency ward in a critical condition.
The doctors said those injured were aged 16 to 25. They included Ali, Mudassir, Hammad, Javed, Karamat, Sawab Khan, Arshad and Aqeel.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2021.
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