Sundar factory collapse: Construction was approved by SIE board

PIEDMC chairman says third storey was under construction when the building collapsed

LAHORE: The on-going construction at a factory that collapsed in Sundar Industrial Estate (SIE) last week, killing at least 45 people, had been approved by the SIE board of management, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The factory registered under the name of Rajput Poly Limited had collapsed on November 4, trapping over 100 people, including factory owner Rana Ashraf, under the debris. The death toll had reached 46 by Sunday.

The construction of a third storey had started following grant of approval by the BoM, documents available with The Tribune show.

Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company (PIEDMC) Chairman SM Tanvir says the third storey was under construction when the building collapsed. He says references in media to the construction of a fourth storey at the building were inaccurate. “Official record shows that the third storey was under construction when the building collapsed,” he says.

Tanvir says some workers had been on strike on the day the building collapsed to register their concern on the fitness of the building. They had also refused to operate heavy machinery acquired recently and installed at the third storey after a test run fearing that it would endanger the safety of the building, he says citing a conversation with workers of a nearby factory during a visit to the site. One of the machines had hit a pillar when it was being lifted to the third storey, damaging the structure, he says.

Tanvir says that on finding out about the workers refusal to operate the machines the owner had come to the factory and insisted on the operation. “He had reached the factory at around 4pm and got the machinery started in his presence,” he says.

The PIEDMC chairman says that the company was responsible only for development of an industrial estate. He says construction and regulation of industrial units was beyond its purview.

In a press release issued last Saturday, a PIEDMC spokesman had expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.

The PIEDMC was set up by the provincial government in 2004 to develop and operate industrial estates. Besides the Sundar Industrial Estate, it manages the Quaid-i-Azam Industrial Estate in Lahore and an industrial estate each in Multan and Rahim Yar Khan.

New estates are under development in Sheikhupura, Chunian, Bhalwal and Vehari.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2015.