Panic grips Iqra University as new campus’ roof caves in
Academics director claims the roof collapsed as it could not 'bear the weight' of men fixing the AC.
PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
After finishing class at 3pm, you are coming down the stairs of the two-floor new building and suddenly hear a cracking noise and the office in front of you collapses right there.
This is what a 20-year-old student of the recently-built Iqra University, North Karachi campus, witnessed on Saturday afternoon. She was among the few witnesses who saw the reception office collapse. The building whose roof collapsed comprised a room for the faculty, the director's office and a reception area.
"There were three women inside who I saw before the rooftop collapsed from the centre," she told The Express Tribune, adding that they suffered minor head injuries. On the way home, her van driver informed her about the construction fault. "This reception block was not meant to be built here, but due to time constraints and the administration's desire to start the summer session by mid-May, this block was temporarily constructed here," she quoted him.
The campus was recently shifted from the North Nazimabad campus to North Karachi, said another student requesting anonymity. "The North Nazimabad campus is still conducting evening classes," he said. According to him, the reception area was covered by metal roofing sheets that were heavily cemented to give a presentable look. "The main reason behind the collapse is the heavy weight of the cement on the sheets."
Meanwhile the director of academics for the North Karachi campus, Salman Abbasi, told The Express Tribune that the rooftop was not a permanent construction but a temporary waiting area which had been built just for the time being.
"The air-conditioner (AC) repairing staff were fixing the AC used in the waiting area," said Abbasi. "But the temporary rooftop could not bear the weight of the labourers and collapsed from the centre. I was there when the incident happened, but it was so minor that I did not even have a minor injury."
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2015.
After finishing class at 3pm, you are coming down the stairs of the two-floor new building and suddenly hear a cracking noise and the office in front of you collapses right there.
This is what a 20-year-old student of the recently-built Iqra University, North Karachi campus, witnessed on Saturday afternoon. She was among the few witnesses who saw the reception office collapse. The building whose roof collapsed comprised a room for the faculty, the director's office and a reception area.
"There were three women inside who I saw before the rooftop collapsed from the centre," she told The Express Tribune, adding that they suffered minor head injuries. On the way home, her van driver informed her about the construction fault. "This reception block was not meant to be built here, but due to time constraints and the administration's desire to start the summer session by mid-May, this block was temporarily constructed here," she quoted him.
The campus was recently shifted from the North Nazimabad campus to North Karachi, said another student requesting anonymity. "The North Nazimabad campus is still conducting evening classes," he said. According to him, the reception area was covered by metal roofing sheets that were heavily cemented to give a presentable look. "The main reason behind the collapse is the heavy weight of the cement on the sheets."
Meanwhile the director of academics for the North Karachi campus, Salman Abbasi, told The Express Tribune that the rooftop was not a permanent construction but a temporary waiting area which had been built just for the time being.
"The air-conditioner (AC) repairing staff were fixing the AC used in the waiting area," said Abbasi. "But the temporary rooftop could not bear the weight of the labourers and collapsed from the centre. I was there when the incident happened, but it was so minor that I did not even have a minor injury."
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2015.