Four family members die in roof collapse

Four members of a family were killed and a young woman injured after the roof of an under-construction house caved in in the Lalian area. Rescue 1122 sources said the incident occurred overnight in Bashir Colony.

The family were sleeping in a room when the roof collapsed, burying them under rubble. Officials said all available resources were used in an effort to reach the trapped victims under the supervision of District Emergency Officer Tahira Khan.

However, Waqar, 22, his brother Waqas, 20, 50-year-old mother Razia Bibi and 50-year-old father Ghulam Mohammad were killed.

The rescue workers retrieved the bodies from the debris and handed them over to the heirs. An 18-year-old woman, Zainab, was pulled from the rubble with injuries and given first aid.

Preliminary reports suggested the collapse had been caused by excessive load on the building, though officials said an investigation was under way.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday expressed deep sorrow over the death of four people after the house roof collapsed near Chhiniot.

In a statement, the chief minister extended her heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved family and prayed for the departed souls.