Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to conduct an immediate safety audit of all school buildings situated in densely populated areas across the province. The directive followed a tragic roof collapse at a summer camp operating in a private school in Baghbanpura, which resulted in the death of an eight-year-old boy and injuries to four others.
Incident Details
According to Rescue 1122, the incident occurred near Women College Road when a portion of the under-construction building collapsed. The three-storey structure gave way during construction work on the top floor, causing debris to fall onto the ground floor and the adjoining street. Rescuers retrieved the body of eight-year-old Abdullah, son of Amjad Butt, from beneath the rubble and handed it over to his family after completing legal formalities.
The search and rescue operation, launched after an emergency call, involved seven vehicles and 25 rescuers. Four injured men—Nadeem, 35; Shakeel, 38; Faiz Ahmad, 32; and Wasim, 42—were pulled from the rubble, given first aid, and shifted to a hospital. Officials reported that the search continued for some time amid concerns that another person might still be trapped under the debris.
Chief Minister's Response
Expressing grief over the child's death and extending condolences to the bereaved family, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sought a report from the Lahore commissioner and the director general of Rescue 1122. She commended Rescue 1122 for rescuing more than 10 children from the debris. The chief minister ordered that the injured children and others receive the best available treatment without delay. She also directed strict legal action against those responsible for negligence or substandard construction and mandated an immediate safety audit of all school buildings in densely populated areas.
Weather-Related Incidents
The provincial rescue service reported that rain and storms over the past 24 hours had claimed two lives and injured nine people in incidents of collapsed walls, roofs, and billboards in Attock, Khushab, Sargodha, and Sheikhupura.
Kahna Tragedy Aftermath
Two days after the roof collapse at a tuition centre in Kahna killed 14 children, two young sisters who survived the incident were struggling to overcome the trauma of witnessing the disaster that took away their cousins and classmates within moments. Almas Fatima, an 11-year-old fifth-grade student, and her nine-year-old sister Anfal, a third-grade student, were among the children injured when the roof collapsed. They were among five children from a family who had gone to attend tuition class. While the two survived, their cousins Dua Fatima and Ghulam Nabi were among those killed.
Recalling the moments before the collapse, Almas said the children were attending class when a brick suddenly fell from the ceiling. According to her, the teacher reassured the students. Seconds later, however, the entire roof gave way, burying the children under rubble amid clouds of dust and cries for help.
