Neighbours burn hospital doctor’s house over missing ambulance. PHOTO: FILE
Six men died on Sunday after inhaling poisonous gas in a well in Jalla Jeem village, police said.
Three other men affected by the gas recovered after receiving treatment at a hospital.
They said Tahir Rafiq, a tube well operator, had gone down a well to clean it. They said he fainted from inhaling the poisonous gas that had accumulated in the well. They said Naseer Ahmad, a town municipal administration clerk, jumped into the well to rescue Rafiq but he too fainted from suffocation.
Muhammad Ikram, a sewer man, went next. He too fainted trying to rescue Rafiq and Ahmad, police said.
They said Ghulam Qadir, a local landlord, then jumped into the well to rescue the three but he too fell unconscious.
They said Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Faiz, Muhammad Aslam, Shah Nawaz and Muhammad Ramazan also fainted trying to rescue the men who had already fainted.
Rescue-1122 officials were called who pulled them out and took them to Jalla Jeem’s rural health centre. Muhammad Fazal, the doctor on duty, referred them to Mailsi’s tehsil headquarters hospital (THQ).
Asked to provide an ambulance, he told them it was away. It was later learnt that it had been sent to transport wheat bags.
Neighbours had to carry the affected men to the THQ hospital on motorcycles. Ikram, Iqbal, Faiz, Ahmad, Shah Nawaz and Rafiq died on their way to the hospital.
The residents later protested against Fazal for using the ambulance. They detained his wife and burned his house and two cars after he fled.
The protesters dispersed when Regional Police Officer Muhammad Amin assured them that action would be taken against the doctor. He said Fazal had already been suspended him from service.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered an inquiry into the incident. He has also announced a Rs500,000 compensation each for the bereaved families. Ambulance driver too has been suspended from the service.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2014.
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