Nine killed in Multan building collapse

MULTAN: A three-storeyed dilapidated house in a congested residential area of Mohallah Jogianwala on the Nishat Road collapsed in the wee hours of Tuesday, killing nine people, Rescue 1122 officials said.

The rubble of the house fell on other houses and devastated their structures in the street. The residents were sleeping in the house when it collapsed, witnesses said.

As soon as the Rescue Control Room received information, seven ambulances, four fire brigade and rescue vehicles rushed to the accident site. Rescue personnel rescued two of the injured and shifted them to the Nishtar Hospital.

The city district administration said nine people were killed in the collapse of the 3-storeyed building. As soon as the accident was reported, Deputy Commissioner Rizwan Qadeer reached the site and supervised the rescue operation. The administration has decided to hold an inquiry into the tragedy, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner General Muhammad Saif. The deputy commissioner said inspection of dangerous buildings in the walled city had been ordered.

Meanwhile, Multan Commissioner Maryam Khan and RPO Sohail Chaudhry visited the site and took a briefing. Sohail said as per the initial report, it was a cylinder blast.

The roof of the three-storyed building collapsed on a neighbouring mud house, trapping residents under the debris. Maryam said all agencies, including rescue, municipal corporation and police, reached the site. Crackdown orders against illegal filling and decanting of cylinders have been issued. Those killed were identified as Danish, 15, Fahim Abbas, 40, Ameer Ali, 12, Wasim, 14, Sanobar, 40, Bakhtawar Amin, 18, Komal 13, Waqar, 21, Musarrat, Naseebur Rehman, 60 and Abdullah, 10.