11 killed in Lahore building collapse

LAHORE:

At least 11 people were killed and six others injured after a three-storey building collapsed in Lahore's Baghbanpura area on Wednesday night, according to Lahore Rescue 1122.

Lahore Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said the emergency response team pulled out 17 people from the rubble; seven were pronounced dead on site while the rest were shifted to the hospital for further treatment, adding that a search operation to recover other people trapped under the debris was underway.

"Later, four more people succumbed to injuries at the hospital, raising the death toll to 11," he said, adding that currently the Lahore Services Hospital was hosting four more people for the treatment of critical injuries, whereas two other persons have been discharged.

A list issued by the spokesperson identified the deceased as: 45-year-old Shahida Bibi, wife of Muhammad Shahid; 45-year-old Samina Bibi, wife of Abbas Ali; 22-year-old Mujahid, son of Shahid; 7-year-old Hamid, son of Abbas; Komal, daughter of Abbas; 10-year-old Hasnain, son of Shahid; 10-year-old Neelam, daughter of Abbas; 22-year-old Ahad Ali, son of Shahid Ali; 18-year-old Ayesha Bibi; 72-year-old Naseem Bibi, wife of the late Meraj and Mehak.

Those critically injured have been identified as Saniya Bibi, Sehar Bibi, Zahid and Sabir Ali by the rescue services.

When questioned about the total number of people present at the time of collapse, Ahmad said, "Rescue 1122 is only aware of people recovered from the collapsed building and is unsure how many people were actually present at the time of the incident."

Police told The Express Tribune that the roof of the dilapidated residence in the Kotli Pir Abdul Rehman area collapsed at around 10:15pm, causing the entire building to cave in, adding that three families resided in the building.

Officials said an investigation had been launched to determine the exact cause of the collapse and whether structural negligence or building safety violations contributed to the tragedy.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of human lives in the house collapse.

On the instructions of the chief minister, the Lahore commissioner visited the hospital and the site of the incident late at night and met survivors rescued from the collapsed building.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Malik Waheed also visited the accident site and assured relatives of those stuck inside the rubble that every possible assistance would be provided for recovering them.

The latest incident came just weeks after another fatal roof collapse in Lahore. On June 30, at least 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre operating in a dilapidated building collapsed in Kahna.

Later, Punjab chief minister ordered an immediate safety audit of all school buildings located in densely populated areas across the province in the wake of the tragedy.

It is worth noting that at least half of the 100-plus monsoon-related deaths were caused by house and roof collapses, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).