At least 14 children were killed and five others injured on Tuesday when the roof of a private tuition center collapsed in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, a provincial health official said.
Rescue Operation and Casualties
The tuition center was located in Lahore's Kahna Nau area, Rescue 1122 emergency service said in a statement. It added that a rescue operation was launched promptly at the site to rescue those trapped under the debris. Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir told Geo News: “Unfortunately, 14 children of various ages have been received dead [at a nearby hospital]. They died before reaching the hospital and around five children were received injured there.”
He said of the five injured, two children have been discharged after initial treatment, adding that the rest were out of danger. He said a teacher who was rescued from the rubble is also undergoing treatment and was in critical condition. Nazir said Rescue 1122 had concluded the rescue operation at the site after all 20 people trapped in the rubble were recovered.
Arrests and Inquiry Ordered
While Lahore police did not mention why the roof collapsed, it said two people, including the owner of the tuition center, were taken into custody following the roof collapse. Nazeer said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had ordered an inquiry into the incident, warning that the roof collapse would be treated as a “test case incident.”
Prime Minister Expresses Condolences
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences over the loss of lives in a statement issued by his office. “The prime minister expressed deep grief and sadness over the deaths of children in the incident,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. Sharif directed authorities to ensure the injured children received the best medical treatment at the hospital.
Separate Incident in Sindh: Three Girls Killed in Wall Collapse
Meanwhile, a Sindh Police official said three girls were killed when a boundary wall of a primary school located in Sindh’s Umerkot district collapsed on Tuesday morning. “A tragic incident happened today morning when an old boundary wall at Government Primary School Ghamori suddenly collapsed, killing three young girls,” Senior Superintendent of Police Suhai Aziz told Arab News.
Aziz said the victims included a 12-year-old named Sughra, a three-year-old named Kaneeza and Rabia, who aged about two to three years old. The police official said that the three girls were walking home from a seminary around 9:00 a.m. when the boundary wall collapsed. She added that the school was closed on account of summer vacations. “Deputy Commissioner Umerkot Naveed Larik has taken notice of the incident and formed an inquiry committee,” Aziz said.
