Daily Times

 Heavy rainfall in the twin cities led to the collapse of walls, resulting in the tragic loss of 13 lives while six people were electrocuted in Punjab, taking the tally to 19. At least 11 people were killed and six others were injured after a building’s wall collapsed at Islamabad’s Grand Trunk (GT) Road as the area faces a spell of heavy monsoon rains. The victims, who were trapped under the weight of the fallen structure, succumbed to their injuries before rescue personnel from the renowned Rescue 1122 could reach the scene.

Promptly responding to the distress call, Rescue 1122 team sprang into action, employing heavy machinery to commence rescue operations. Amid the perilous situation, four workers were successfully extracted from the rubble. According to Industrial Area I-9 Superintendent of Police (SP) Khan Zeb, the bodies of the 11 people were recovered from the rubble with the help of machinery.

The bodies of the deceased — said to be labourers — were shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), according to Dr Mubashir Daha, who is the spokesperson for PIMS Executive Director Dr Imran Sikander.

Dr Daha said that six injured were also brought to the hospital, out of which one was discharged after receiving first aid, while the rest were out of danger.

SP Zeb said that rescue teams had immediately reached the site upon receiving the incident alert. An official statement from Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon explained that the incident occurred due to a building’s wall collapsing upon a tent that the labourers had placed there. The statement added that the labourers were working on the construction of an underpass on the city’s GT Road — carried out on the orders of the National Highway Authority (NHA). It added that DC Memon, Chief Commissioner Noorul Amin Mengal and officials of the NHA were present at the site. In a tweet, Mengal said he visited the site to assess the dewatering and search and rescue operations. Sharing photos from his visit, he said, “All possible resources are being utilised to facilitate people.”

Meanwhile, in an official statement, the NHA denied reports of the collapsed wall being a part of an underpass structure.

Without specifying which underpass, it stated: “There is no truth in the reports saying that the wall that collapsed due to rains is of an underpass.” It went on to assert, “The walls and the construction site of the underpass are safe and sound.” Meanwhile, five people including two children were electrocuted in metropolis Lahore. The kids were identified as 10-year-old Saifullah and 12-year-old Zubair Rafaqat, who were electrocuted in rain water in Defence-A area. A 20-year-old youth named Jawad also lost his life after being electrocuted in Qalandarpura. A 35-year-old person Ejaz son of Suleiman lost his life when he was electrocuted from a switch board in Harbanspura. While, another person electrocuted in Thokar Niaz Baig area. In a separate incident, tragedy struck the Muhammad Town area of Khanna police station as an 11-year-old girl lost her life when another wall collapsed amidst the rainfall. An 18-year-old youth named Hammad was also electrocuted in Pasrur tehsil of city of Sialkot. Locals said that the victim was watering his rice field when he was electrocuted.