Underpass tragedy: Another body recovered from under loose earth
Families of the deceased protest against DCO ‘for not taking interest’.
Protesters said that if the bodies were not recovered soon, they would not allow work on the underpass to resume. PHOTO: FILE
FAISALABAD:
More than 60 hours after a pile of loose earth at the Abdullahpur underpass site collapsed on several curious watchers, the rescuers recovered a body on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Mehmood Ahmed, 28, a resident of Abdullahpur. At least five people were trapped under the earth after water from the Rakh Branch Canal accumulated in the underpass, witnesses had said.
On Sunday, the families of four missing people protested against the district coordination officer accusing him of starting the rescue with a delay and “not taking interest in the operation”.
They were joined by residents of some colonies nearby at the Abdullah Chowk.
The protesters alleged that the rescue operation was slow because “they did not have strict orders from the DCO”.
They said that if the bodies were not recovered soon, they would not allow work on the underpass to resume. They said that the project had been taken up without providing for smooth flow of traffic. They said students were also facing difficulties in reaching their schools and colleges.
Some of the protesters said that the workers had not been provided with adequate safety gear. Some of them claimed that proper warning notices had not been put up to stop people from approaching the site.
They said people continued to approach the underpass site to have a view of the water from the canal break on Friday night. Work on the underpass was started in November 2012. The project site runs along Abdullahpur, Railway Station, Jhal Khanuana, Mansoorabad, Peoples Colony and Madina Town.
Rescue officials told The Express Tribune that no one from the district administration visited the site on Sunday.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2013.
More than 60 hours after a pile of loose earth at the Abdullahpur underpass site collapsed on several curious watchers, the rescuers recovered a body on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Mehmood Ahmed, 28, a resident of Abdullahpur. At least five people were trapped under the earth after water from the Rakh Branch Canal accumulated in the underpass, witnesses had said.
On Sunday, the families of four missing people protested against the district coordination officer accusing him of starting the rescue with a delay and “not taking interest in the operation”.
They were joined by residents of some colonies nearby at the Abdullah Chowk.
The protesters alleged that the rescue operation was slow because “they did not have strict orders from the DCO”.
They said that if the bodies were not recovered soon, they would not allow work on the underpass to resume. They said that the project had been taken up without providing for smooth flow of traffic. They said students were also facing difficulties in reaching their schools and colleges.
Some of the protesters said that the workers had not been provided with adequate safety gear. Some of them claimed that proper warning notices had not been put up to stop people from approaching the site.
They said people continued to approach the underpass site to have a view of the water from the canal break on Friday night. Work on the underpass was started in November 2012. The project site runs along Abdullahpur, Railway Station, Jhal Khanuana, Mansoorabad, Peoples Colony and Madina Town.
Rescue officials told The Express Tribune that no one from the district administration visited the site on Sunday.
The rescue operation is being supervised by Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Rizwan Naseer. A contingent of rescuers has been called from Lahore to help with the operation.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2013.