Atleast 19 people died in building collapse incident at Sundar Industrial Estate

Lahore: Atleast 19 people have died in building collapse incident at Sundar Industrial Estate,around 200 people are said trapped under the debris and 40 out of them rescued and shifted to Sharif Medical City,Lahore General Hospital and Jinnah Hospital.DCO Lahore Capt(R) Muhammad Usman and DG Rescue 1122 are supervising the rescue work. Rescue 1122 20 ambulances and 4 special vehicles and more than one dozen ambulances of Edhi Service are at the venue to rescue the trapped people.More deaths are feared.

Factory owner Rana Ashraf is also among the ill fated people who lost their lives in this tragic incident.

Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Senator Sirajul Haq, has expressed deep grief over the tragedy at a factory in the Sundar Industrial estate resulting in several deaths and injuries to many others.

He has expressed full sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured. He has urged the government to immediately pay compensation to the bereaved families and arrange free medical treatment for the injured.

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif postponed all engagements immediately after receiving the information of tragic incident occurred at Sundar Industrial Estate today and issued instructions to the officials of rescue agencies and administration to immediately start relief activities.

The Chief Minister personally supervised the steps regarding relief activities and provision of treatment facilities to the injured labourers till late at night. He also issued necessary instructions to concerned officials in this regard.

Shehbaz Sharif inquired after injured labourers under treatment at Sharif Medical Complex late at night and reached the hospital without any protocol. He sought the details of the incident from injured labourers and issued instructions to the administration for providing best treatment facilities. Later, the Chief Minister visited the site of the incident and reviewed relief activities.

A briefing was given to the Chief Minister regarding relief activities. Shehbaz Sharif said that all out resources should be utilized for relief activities. He said that every life is precious and safe evacuation of the labourers buried under debris is first priority. He said that after investigation report of the incident, the facts will come fore.

The Chief Minister said that Pak-Army, police, administration and concerned institutions are engaged in relief activities and best medical facilities are being provided to the injured.

Talking to the media, the Chief Minister said that investigation is underway for ascertaining the causes of collapse of the factory. He said the labourers under treatment in Sharif Medical Complex have told that factory owner was constructing new building on weak walls but the real facts will come-fore after investigation. He said that action will be taken after determining the persons responsible in the light of investigation report.

Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said that relief activities are continuing at the site of the incident and machinery is also being used for evacuating the labourers buried under debris. The Chief Minister appealed that non-relevant people should not gather at the site of the incident, it hampers relief activities. He said that relief agencies should be allowed to do their work expeditiously.