Banquet hall collapse: Emotional scenes witnessed at Shadbagh funerals

Five people including a bride perished in the incident.

LAHORE:

Emotional scenes were witnessed at funeral prayers of those killed during a mehndi ceremony at a banquet hall in Shadbagh area on Tuesday after one of its walls caved in and its roof collapsed.

Hundreds of citizens including Provincial Assembly Members (MPAs) Shahbaz Ahmed and Ghazali Saleem Butt participated in the funeral prayers of those killed in the incident. Samina, an aunt of bride Shumaila, who was killed in the incident, said she was at a loss for words to describe the calamity that had befallen her family. “My niece’s hands were stained with blood instead of henna,” she said. Samina said the festive affair had turned into a bloody nightmare. “Who can we approach for justice,” she said. Shahbaz, an uncle of the bride, said the family did not want to apportion blame for the incident. He said their lives had changed over the course of a few hours.

The mother of Nauman, the shehbala who was also killed in the incident, said the prospect of becoming the shehbala at his uncle’s wedding had thrilled him. “Little did he know that this would be the last day of his life,” she said.

Five people were killed and 20 were injured in the incident. A Rescue 1122 spokesperson told The Express Tribune that rescue efforts had been impeded by rain and lack of light on the spot. Police, Rescue 1122 and Edhi took part in the effort to retrieve the bodies of those killed and injured from the debris. Those injured were taken to Kot Khwaja Saeed Hospital. Bodies of the deceased and those in critical condition were later sent to Mayo Hospital. He said those shifted to Kot Khwaja Saeed Hospital had been discharged.

A doctor from Mayo Hospital told The Express Tribune that 10 people including the groom had been shifted to the hospital. He said three of these were being treated at the hospital’s intensive care units (ICUs). The doctor said comedian Kashif Prince had been placed on a ventilator at the neurology department’s ICU. He said 14-year-old Hassan and 20 year-old Muqaddas, who had also been critically injured in the incident, were being treated at another ICU.

Shabbir Ahmed, a shopkeeper from the area, said the henna ceremony was the first event to have taken place at the hall. He said the wall that had caved in and the roof that had collapsed had been constructed recently.

Liaquat Ali, an eyewitness, said the wall had fallen onto the stage after caving in. He said some people had rushed to save help those present on the stage following the incident. Ali said the roof of the hall had subsequently fallen over them.

Another witness speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity said the ceremony had been in progress till midnight. The witness said the Shalimar Town administration had failed to ensure that the ceremony concluded at 10 pm in accordance with the law.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and constituted a five-member team led by the commissioner to look into the matter and submit a report regarding it in 48 hours. He also announced Rs500,000 compensation for the kin of those killed and Rs100,000 for those injured in the incident.

Operations DIG Haider Ashraf said an FIR had been registered against the owners and the administration of the hall on the complaint of a brother of moviemaker Arif, who had perished in the incident.

He said police would not hesitate to take action against Shalimar Town officials if they were nominated in any complaint regarding the incident. CCPO Muhammad Amin Wains said those responsible for the incident would be arrested soon.

He said police would ensure that justice was dispensed to the families of the deceased. Wains said raids were being conducted to nab the absconding owners of the hall.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.