Lahore factory collapse: Hope fades for workers trapped under debris

Rubble of just top two storeys removed; death toll jumps to 23

LAHORE:

Rescue workers on Thursday were still cutting through steel and picking through the debris of the four-storey factory in Lahore which had collapsed on Wednesday as hopes of finding more survivors faded.

Over 24 hours after the building collapsed, as many as 102 survivors had been pulled out of the rubble of the Rajput Polyester Factory, while six people died during treatment as the death toll rose to 23. Officials believe that there could be as many as 40 people still trapped under concrete and mangled rebars, but hopes of finding them alive were slim.

"Almost 24 hours have passed and there are less chances of life now," said Rescue 1122 chief Brig (retd) Arshad Zia.

Emergency rooms at three public hospitals said that over 100 injured workers had been brought for treatment. According to figures provided by the district government, 102 people were injured. Of these, 59 were under treatment while the rest had been discharged.

Jinnah hospital’s Additional Medical Superintendent (MS) Muhammad Shahid said that 29 people, including minors, had been brought for treatment there.

Of these, six had died, while nine were discharged after they were given first aid. The rest had been asked to stay on for further treatment. Most of the  injured, Shahid said, had fractures.

Shahid said one of the injured was a double amputee. “They had to amputate his legs to pull him out,” he said, adding that the man had been identified as Azhar, 30.

“He is currently in intensive care and is in a stable condition.” He added that a team of surgeons from Jinnah Hospital had performed an amputation on site since both of Azhar’s legs had been crushed under the rubble.



Slow and steady

The joint rescue operation by Rescue 1122, Pakistan Army, police and civil administration was still underway when this report was filed, with rescuers proceeding gingerly in a bid to recover as many survivors as they could.

As the rescue operation stretched into its third day, more than 102 people had been pulled from under the rubble. Rescue 1122 and military spokespersons said that they feared 30 to 40 people were still trapped under the debris.

“Miracles can happen at any time and that’s why we are moving slowly,” said Zia, as he explained that so far they had removed rubble of the top two floors.

However, families and colleagues of the victims staged a demonstration to protest the slow pace of rescue efforts. They alleged that the authorities were not doing enough to ensure everybody trapped under the debris was rescued.

Inquiry committee presents initial report

An inquiry committee, formed by the provincial government on Wednesday to probe why the factory had collapsed, presented its initial findings on Thursday.

“Initial findings indicate poor quality of construction material contributed to the collapse,” said Industries, commerce and investment department (IC&ID) secretary Nabeel Javed, who is also a convener of the committee.

“Experts say that the construction of an additional storey where heavy machinery had been installed may also have been a factor.”

According to the notification, the government has directed the committee to investigate the causes of the incident, identify deficiencies in building control and safety arrangements, identify agencies and persons responsible for the incident and recommend appropriate action in this regard.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Javed said that some experts believed the vibration from factory machines coupled with the October 26 earthquake had compromised the building’s foundations.

On Thursday evening, an earthquake measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale struck Lahore.


Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2015.