In a tragic incident in Chiniot, four members of a family, including two children, lost their lives when the roof of their house collapsed late Tuesday night. The incident occurred in the Mohalla Jhangian area, where the family was asleep when the roof caved in due to heavy rains.
Rescue Operation and Casualties
Rescue teams from the district emergency service and local volunteers reached the spot immediately after the incident. After hours of search and rescue efforts, they retrieved the bodies of all four victims from under the debris. The deceased were identified as 45-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, his wife 40-year-old Parveen Bibi, and their two children, 10-year-old Ahmed and 8-year-old Fatima. Two other family members, who were in another room, escaped unhurt.
Cause of Collapse
Preliminary investigations suggest that the roof, which was made of mud and wood, had weakened due to continuous rainfall over the past three days. The heavy downpour caused the structure to give way, burying the victims under the rubble. Local authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident to determine if any negligence was involved.
The bodies were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for postmortem, after which they were handed over to the grieving family for burial. The local administration has announced financial compensation of Rs. 500,000 for the bereaved family.
This tragic event highlights the vulnerability of traditional mud houses in rural areas during monsoon season. Residents have urged the government to take measures to reinforce such structures to prevent future tragedies.
