Dr. Arshad Zia announces the completion of rescue work at Sundar

Lahore: The Director General, Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Brig. Dr. Arshad Zia said that 131-hours long (six and half daylong) continuous Search & Rescue Operation at Rajput Poly-Plant in Sundar Estate concluded in the wee hours on Tuesday. He said that Rescue 1122 evacuated 103 alive victims from the debris of three-storyed factory, which caved in on Wednesday evening at 4:48 pm, and swiftly shifted the injured persons to base hospitals including Sharif City Complex, Jinnah Hospital, General Hospital and Social Security Manga of Lahore. Total 45 people died during this incident.

“My 720 trained rescuers from 15 Districts, 26 rescue officers, 60 emergency vehicles including ambulances, specialized vehicles, fire vehicles, flames cutters, rescue & rotary saws, hydraulic/ gas cutters, chipping hammers, and other emergency equipment were utilized in this operation,” DG Rescue Punjab Brig. Dr. Arshad Zia said. He further stated that overall 81 concrete slabs made with cement and metallic rods were cut-off by Rescue 1122. Seconds after the incident, Dr. Arshad Zia flanked by senior rescue officers, Urban Search & Rescue Teams and emergency equipment reached the spot and launched search and rescue operation on collapsed structure. Meanwhile, 15 Districts including Lahore; Multan, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Okara, Mandibahuddin, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Saheb, Sahiwal and Hafizabad joined search and rescue operation, whereas over 150 rescuers and Disaster Response Force stationed at Emergency Services Academy also joined the operation.

DG Rescue Punjab supervised the overall rescue operation as an Incident Commander under his command, Rescue 1122 safely evacuated 103 persons stuck under the debris. On Friday dated 6^th November, morale of the rescuers touched the sky when enthusiastic rescuers rescued one alive victim named Mohammad Shahid, 25, hailing from Khanewal. DG Rescue Punjab considered it a turning point for rescue operation. After this incident, two-way strategy was adopted by Rescue 1122, as a special team comprising of qualified and experts in searching used to conduct canine search along with searching cams having high resolution sensors afterwards urban search and rescue teams used to search identified areas of the structure. “This strategy was helpful in rescuing trapped victims from the debris and searching bodies from the site,” DG Rescue added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army, City District Government, Lahore, CDA, Islamabad, Behria Town, Izhar Construction and other line agencies also joined this search and rescue operation of Rescue 1122 and virtually it became a joint venture. The Chief Minister, Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif visited the operation site on 1^stday of the incident and other government functionaries also visited the site and inspected search and rescue operation. After the Search & Rescue Operation was formally concluded on Tuesday at 05:00 AM, DG Rescue Punjab Brig. Dr. Arshad Zia announced cash prizes and commendatory certificates for all those rescue officers/ officials, who performed extra ordinary during this operation.