Illegal construction: Three-storey building collapses in Rawalpindi

The building was lifted on jacks to add a basement, but they gave in.

RAWALPINDI:

The day began noisily in Rawalpindi’s commercial hub, Raja Bazaar, as a three-storey building came crashing down at around 6:30am. No one was injured in the incident, as Madina Market is closed on Friday mornings.

Illegal construction to add a basement to the building started three days back, with the building being raised on jacks to allow work under the structure. However, the jacks collapsed under the burden, police officials said.

“I was leaving for school when suddenly, I heard a booming noise. At the time, I thought it was a blast,” said Bilal Khan, an eyewitness.

Last June, the Punjab government had directed the city administration to implement building bylaws in response to the boom in illegal building construction.

Official sources said that there are more than 70 areas in the city where illegal construction continues, violating Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) bylaws.

Ganjmandi Police SHO Khan Shabbir said that an FIR has been registered against the building’s owner, Sheikh Ijaz.

He said it was fortunate that nobody was inside the building when it collapsed. He added that a “thorough investigation” would be conducted.

RTMA Administrator Saif Anwar said “building collapses routinely occur in the city, and the building which collapsed was privately-owned”.

When asked about the extent of illegal construction in the city and the fact that this building was raised using jacks, a violation of administration bylaws, he replied that no such thing was in his notice, and refused to comment further on the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2012.