Survey of precarious buildings ordered
The historical Hindu inn on Rawalpindi’s College Road crumbles due to official apathy and negligence. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Administrations of the twin cities have ordered the survey of precarious and dangerous buildings in Islamabad and Rawalpindi after reports of cracks emerged in several structures following the earthquake.
The Rawalpindi district administration has started declaring six high-rise buildings dangerous after the earthquake jolted the twin cities.
The Rawalpindi district administration has formed a committee to inspect the affected buildings.
Officials said that after the earthquake, they received reports of cracks in six high-rise buildings in the garrison city.
They said that building inspectors had been tasked to inspect the affected structures and they identified six risky residential and commercial buildings in the district where cracks had appeared.
Officials said that a committee comprising officers from four different departments will submit a detailed report on the condition of the dilapidated buildings within a week.
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema said that no loss of life or property was reported in Rawalpindi after the earthquake.
He said that a committee has been formed which includes officers from the Rawalpindi Development Authority, the TMA, the excise and taxation and the building department. The committee will submit a detailed report with the help of experts, he said adding that if experts say that the building can sustain and cracks were not risky, the occupants will not be asked to vacate buildings.
He said that if experts say the buildings may collapse at any time, then the occupants will be asked to immediately vacate the dangerous structures.
He said that two people were injured in the earthquake in Rawalpindi after they jumped from roofs because of fear. He said two people also fell unconscious after the earthquake struck the city. He said that the injured were immediately transferred to the hospital but later discharged after providing first aid.
Meanwhile, Capital Development Authority Chairman Noor-ul-Amin Mengal has directed the officials concerned to survey all buildings in Islamabad to assess damages.
According to the CDA spokesperson, the chairman directed the building control department to identify buildings damaged by the earthquake in the city. Officials have been directed to submit a survey report within 24 hours.
According to Punjab Rescue 1122, it has been decided to evacuate buildings declared or deemed dangerous in Rawalpindi.
Rescue sources said that two people who jumped from the roof of a plaza on 6th Road in panic during the earthquake were seriously injured. According to the sources, 17-year-old Zia Masood fractured both his legs and sustained a spinal cord injury, while 21-year-old Naeem Rauf also jumped from a building and fractured his right leg.
A spokesperson of Rescue 1122 said that there had been reports of cracks in buildings in different areas of Rawalpindi after the earthquake, on which a high alert has been issued.
He said that rescue officers were monitoring the affected buildings.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2023.