Rain accident: Seven killed in roof collapse

Neighbours say rescue team took two hours to reach scene.

MULTAN:

Seven members of a family were killed on Friday when the roof of a house in Basti Lashari in Rajanpur collapsed.

Rescuers said the roof collapsed due to heavy rain that continued for more than an hour.

They said one of the deceased, Muhammad Rab Nawaz, the owner of the house, had lived there with his wife, children and cousins. Rescuers said there were 14 people inside the house when the roof came down.

The roof collapsed at around 3am trapping the family under the debris.

Neighbours said the roof had recently been fixed. The renovated sections were still supported by wooden columns.



They said they rushed outside their houses on hearing the noise.

They informed the Rescue team, who, they said, arrived two hours later. Meanwhile, the neighbours said, they tried to pull out the family. Announcements were made from the neighbourhood mosque seeking volunteers to help remove the rubble.

Once they were on the scene, it took rescuers three hours to remove the rubble

Rab Nawaz, his wife and five children had died before they were pulled out.

Three of his children and four cousins were unconscious and severely injured and taken to the district headquarters hospital.

Doctors treating them said that they all had several broken bones, but were out of danger.



Three injured in Daska

Three labourers were injured in Daska when the roof of an under construction shop caved in.

Rescue 1122 officials said the labourers were working on the first floor of the two-storey shop in Satrah, when one of the poles supporting the first fell.

The labourers, later identified as Malik Shakoor and Rahat Nawaz, were taken to a hospital, where they were reported to be out of danger.

Doctors treating them said Nawaz’s right leg was broken.     

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2013.