Overloaded pathway: Dozens injured in bridge collapse
Over 50 people were standing on the makeshift structure when it gave way.
The collapsed makeshift bridge over a stream in the France Colony slum in Sector F-7/4. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
More than 50 people, mostly women, were injured when a makeshift bridge over a stream in the France Colony slum in Sector F-7/4 collapsed. A funeral service was being held on the bridge at the time.
The bridge, which had been constructed by residents of France Colony, collapsed when over 50 people were preparing for the funeral of a woman who had died earlier. Residents said they used the bridge for different events including funerals due to the lack of any other open space in the congested slum.
Rescue teams and police officials shifted the injured to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment.
According to PIMS officials, a total of 50 injured people including 35 women had been brought to the hospital for treatment. The injured were all stated to be in stable condition.
Riaz Masih, a resident of France Colony, told The Express Tribune that due to non-availability of space, they use the bridge for different events. “It collapsed on Monday, when over 50 people gathered on the bridge for the funeral prayer,” he said adding that over 15,000 people were currently living in the colony but they have no space for community activities.
When questioned about illegal expansion of the colony, Masih said that the Capital Development Authority carried out a survey in 2002 and allowed them to construct 339 houses. Later, over 460 more houses were added to the colony, he admitted.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2015.
More than 50 people, mostly women, were injured when a makeshift bridge over a stream in the France Colony slum in Sector F-7/4 collapsed. A funeral service was being held on the bridge at the time.
The bridge, which had been constructed by residents of France Colony, collapsed when over 50 people were preparing for the funeral of a woman who had died earlier. Residents said they used the bridge for different events including funerals due to the lack of any other open space in the congested slum.
Rescue teams and police officials shifted the injured to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment.
According to PIMS officials, a total of 50 injured people including 35 women had been brought to the hospital for treatment. The injured were all stated to be in stable condition.
Riaz Masih, a resident of France Colony, told The Express Tribune that due to non-availability of space, they use the bridge for different events. “It collapsed on Monday, when over 50 people gathered on the bridge for the funeral prayer,” he said adding that over 15,000 people were currently living in the colony but they have no space for community activities.
When questioned about illegal expansion of the colony, Masih said that the Capital Development Authority carried out a survey in 2002 and allowed them to construct 339 houses. Later, over 460 more houses were added to the colony, he admitted.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2015.