Six kids, teacher killed in roof collapse

Five children were injured

FAISALABAD:

As many as seven people, including six children, were killed when the roof of a house under construction caved in on Monday near Thikriwala police station.

Police said the house belonged to 45-year-old Hameeda Bibi, a teacher.

They said the house had been under repairs for a few months. They said the roof collapsed around noon, killing 16-year-old Sana, eight-year-old Amina, nine-year-old Hammad, seven-year-old Bilal, 10-year-old Saba and 11-year-old Sania. Bibi also died. Five other children were also injured. They were taken to Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital. Doctors at the hospital said three of them were in a serious condition.

News of the roof collapse spread quickly and several  people gathered at the site and tried to rescue the people under the rubble. Later, Rescue 1122 personnel arrived and moved the debris and pulled out the bodies.

Ghulam Fareed, a neighbour, told newsmen that Bibi’s husband had died a few years ago. “Bibi used to teach children Urdu and mathematics,” he said. He said four of Bibi’s daughters had died in the roof collapse. He said Rashid Ali, a neighbour, had sent his two sons for tuition at her house.  He said the boys died as well. Fareed said those injured in the incident were taken to a hospital.  Thikriwala SHO Malik Jahangir said they were collecting statements of witnesses. He said the cause of the collapse could not be ascertained. The chief minister expressed grief at the loss of life and directed health officials to provide all facilities to the injured at the hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2014.