Two die in Islamabad flyover pillar collapse

Three others buried under rubble rescued, shifted to Islamabad hospitals

ISLAMABAD:

Two labourers lost their lives while three others suffered injuries when the pillar of an under-construction flyover in the Bhara Kahu area collapsed.

Construction work on the flyover was ongoing day and night as it was scheduled to be inaugurated on March 23.

A total of six labourers were working on the pillar when it collapsed, burying them under the rubble.

The Islamabad police said on its official Twitter handle that three workers who were pulled out of the rubble had been shifted to the Islamabad Polyclinic Hospital. “One of them succumbed to the injuries.”

It added that of the two other workers who were shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, one died.

However, one labourer miraculously survived.

Islamabad Chief Commissioner and CDA Chairman Captain (retd) Noorul Amin Mengal, Islamabad IGP Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, DIG Operations Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari, SSP Traffic Syed Mustafa Tanweer and Secretariat Assistant Commissioner Anil Saeed reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation.

Rescue 1122, Motorway Police, Emergency Disaster Management and other personnel participated in the operation.

While talking to the media, Mengal said, “We have formed an inquiry team under the direction of Islamabad DC Irfan Nawaz Memon, and it will compile its report within 24 hours.

“Due to legal proceedings, the project was placed on hold for two months. Safety precautions are being taken. Our objective is to complete this project as quickly as we can, and there will never be no compromise on safety and security.”

He said that initially, it was believed that a truck collided with the pillar which led to the incident. “The truck driver has been detained, and we are now obtaining further information from him.”

However, witnesses said they did not see any truck colliding with the pillar.

According to the CCTV footage acquired by The Express Tribune, no truck of any type passed by. There was also a ban on the entry of two-wheeler trolleys.

The technical personnel under the condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune that the incident happened because the shuttering was being done in a moist area, and the shuttering fell owing to its heavy weight. The Islamabad authorities cleared the road and removed the debris.

Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah regretted the accident and ordered to wrap up the rescue operation immediately. The interior minister directed the CDA chairman to identify those who were responsible for the accident.

On the other hand, Islamabad chief commissioner formed an eight-member inquiry committee comprising Islamabad DC Memon, Islamabad Traffic SSP Tanweer, CDA Engineering member, and Nespak representative to conduct an investigation into the incident. The inquiry team will also comprise one representative each from the Islamabad and Rawalpindi rescue teams.