Lahore rescue operation at collapsed factory ends

TrendPK.com

LAHORE: The death toll from a factory collapse in Lahore reached 26 while 16 injured persons were rescued alive.

The three-storey factory had crumbled to the ground on February 6 after a gas explosion.

Taking notice of the unfortunate incident, Supreme Court had summoned Punjab Chief Secretary, IGP and District Administration to appear before it.

Rescue teams today completed operation which continued for five days.

One aged lady was pulled alive after 31 hours while another man was rescued after 47 hours. However, he succumbed to his wounds at a hospital.

Rescue Officer Ahmed Raza said operation took long time to complete in a bid to save lives. TrendPK

Lahore factory collapse: toll surges to 19

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LAHORE: As many as four more bodies were retrieved Tuesday from under the rubble of the factory, which crumbled down as a result of explosion of its boiler yesterday morning, raising the overall toll to 18 thus far, TrendPK reports Tuesday.
Rescue sources said the hopes to recover more alive people are diminishing with the passage of time; however, an old lady has been taken out from the rubble after the lapse of 31 hours.

Various political leaders visited the mishap site and expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in the tragedy. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders Raja Riaz also arrived on the spot; however, he did not flinch from criticizing Punjab government.

Several people are believed to be still trapped under the debris of the factory, which had women and children as its employees.

As many as 14 people were taken out in injured state from the devastated building debris.

According to details, the mishap occurred at 0810 PST in a medicine factory located on Multan Road, Kharak Stop, causing the entire building to collapse trapping under its debris people in large number. The debris could not be removed as yet despite the lapse of 24 hours.

Meantime, a case has been lodged against the factory owners and government officers in Sabzazar Police Station. Also, police arrested factory manager Muneer Ahmed.

According to the sources, the factory has been working since eight months now, as its license was not renewed since June 2011. TrendPK

Cylinder blast: Over 50 trapped in collapsed factory building in Lahore

TrendPK.com

LAHORE: More than 50 people, including women and children, were trapped on Monday in a collapsed building of a factory at Multan Road due to a cylinder blast inside it, TrendPK reports Monday.

Rescue teams managed to retrieve 10 people, including four women and a child in injured condition as the building completely caved in.

Two dead bodies were also pulled out of the pharmaceutical factory’s 3-story building.

“Some 17 women and 47 male workers were present inside the factory when blast tool place,” a rescue official told TrendPK, whereas DCO Lahore Ahad Chima say it may take time to remove the entire debris and recover the trapped people.

Initial reports said roof of the factory building was collapsed following a powerful cylinder blast, trapping at least 50 workers, including women and children.

Relief operations by 1122 Rescue teams and areas people are currently underway at the site to retrieve dead bodies and those injured. Cranes and other heavy machinery were called to remove the rubble.

The Monday’s blast also wounded few people.

Rescue teams said those pulled out alive from the debris were shifted to Jinnah and Sheikh Zayed hospitals, more than 15 kms from the incident site, in critical state. TrendPK

Lahore factory disaster: Over 60 still trapped in debris

TrendPK.com

LAHORE: Two dead bodies were pulled out while more than 60 people are still trapped inside debris of a three-story factory building which collapsed after a cylinder blast, TrendPK reports.

Initial reports say more than 70 people were present in the factory located in a residential area at Multan Road when it collapsed, possibly because of a gas cylinder explosion inside it.

A Rescue 1122 official told TrendPK that two bodies have so far been pulled out of the rubble and at least 10 injured people, most of them young children and women, rescued.

The survivors, including a 10-year-old boy and four women, were shifted to Jinnah and Sheikh Zayed hospitals, more than 15 kms from the incident site.

Fearing that the death toll may rise, officials said a gas cylinder explosion could have caused the disaster.

Thermal imaging devices and movement detectors are being used by the rescuers engaged in the operation being carried out carefully after detecting few survivors inside the debris, TrendPK reported.

Cranes were called to remove the rubble but authorities were having trouble getting heavy rescue machinery to the area because of narrow streets, while rescue teams were making hectic efforts to reach the trapped people.  

“The factory has completely collapsed and two houses next to it as well,” an emergency official at the site told TrendPK.

Some witnesses say up to 150 people normally worked at the factory used to manufacture veterinary injections.

Illegal Factory?

Deputy Commissioner Lahore, Ahad Cheema says it may take time to remove the entire debris and recover the trapped people.

Cheema said the factory was illegally set up in the residential area.

“Authorities had previously closed the factory three times, but each time it reopened, despite complaints from the neighbors,” he said. TrendPK

British pharmacist Hilton arrives at Lahore

TrendPK.com

LAHORE: British pharmacist Trody Hilton has arrived here on Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s invitation, TrendPK reported on Friday.

She has come to help Pakistani experts in drugs’ reaction issue that has caused more than 100 deaths so far in the province.

While talking with media here at Lahore Airport she said that the purpose of her visit is to help Pakistani experts in treating patients.

Fortunately, the reasons of the diseases are at last known which will help treating patients and saving lives, she added. TrendPK

Lahore banking court approves Khurram Rasool’s interim bail

TrendPK.com

LAHORE: Prime Minister’s former media coordinator Khurram Rasool’s interim bail has been approved by banking court in Lahore today, TrendPK reported on Thursday.

Banking court’s judge Amjad Parvez has granted interim bail to Khurram Rasool till February 2, who is wanted by the FIA in 630 million rupees’ fraud case.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the FIA to arrest Khurram Rasool and present before the court till January 27 but the banking court of Lahore has approved his interim bail and issued orders that he should not be arrested before February 2. TrendPK

Punjab drug reaction: Death toll surges to 72

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LAHORE: The overall death toll spurred by the reaction of heart medicines at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) surged to 72, TrendPK reports Wednesday.

Meantime, Punjab Health Department issued notification regarding the post mortem of the people killed by drug reaction.

The recent death was of a heart patient Bilqis Begum, 50, a resident of Lahore area of Sandah. Her condition worsened this morning at Mayo Hospital.

The police and district administration are going to each doorstep in entire province to collect back the PIC-offered medicines on directives given by Punjab government. Also, the suspicious medicines are being captured from markets as well.

A report on the medicines recovered thus far has been sent to the commissioner.

The provincial government announced recompense money for the bereaved families and sent abroad the medicine samples.

The steering committee set up to probe the issue has termed it a calamity. The committee chairman Khawaja Salman Rafiq said the provincial government was forced to buy medicines from the companies listed by federal government.

He said the plan is being formulated for future purchase of the medicines, adding the suspicious have been taken back from 9,000 patients. TrendPK

Lahore: Ravi river embankment breaches

TrendPK.com

LAHORE: The makeshift barrier of Ravi river near Lahore breached in the early hours of Sunday, swallowing heavy machinery and few vehicles parked at the dyke. No causality was reported, TrendPK reports.

Some 22 labourers working at the dyke also fell in the water and few were trapped inside the construction material-laden vehicles when they came down as a result of breach in temporary bund near Gulshan-e-Ravi area.

All the labourers were rescued by local people; however, four trucks, eight heavy trailers and two cranes sank due to the sudden breach.
 
Local administration arrived at the scene and kicked off efforts to repair the breach. Water gushed out from the embankment, flooding nearby fields.

Busy in dewatering operations, Water and Sanitation Agency known as (WASA) personnel say the situation is under control for the time being. TrendPK

Conjoined baby girls die in Karachi hospital

TrendPK.com

KARACHI: Newborn conjoined sisters who were under treatment in Karachi hospital died on Sunday before the operation meant for their separation, TrendPK reports.

“It was a complicated case and in such cases there is always a less possibility of twin’s survival,” a doctor told TrendPK.

The twin sisters, conjoined at the chest and abdomen, were born in Larakana’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital last week, and shifted to Karachi’s National Institute of Child Institute (NICH) on Saturday for the operation purpose due to their unstable health condition.

Medics said the girls were shifted to hospital’s ICU could not survive and died on Sunday before the operation.

Their parents hail from Mehar town of Dadu district. TrendPK

Sri Lanka orders 161 foreign Islamic clerics out

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has ordered a group of 161 foreign Islamic clerics to leave the country, for flouting visa regulations by preaching to pockets of Muslims around the country, an official said Sunday.

Controller of Immigration and Emigration Chulananda Perera said the clerics, who were mostly Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian, Maldivian and Arab, had travelled into the country on tourist visas.

“We have ordered them to leave the country by January 31. They have violated immigration laws. A tourist visa is to have a holiday or visit friends and family and not to preach Islam,” Perera told AFP.

He said the group, which belongs to the Tabligh Jamat group, arrived in Sri Lanka last month in small batches.

Perera said he acted on several complaints by the Muslim community, that the clerics were not preaching the moderate Islam practiced on the Buddhist-dominated island.

“Foreign clerics wishing to preach Islam in Sri Lanka, must first apply for permission through the religious affairs authorities,” Perera said.

In January, Sri Lanka launched an online-visa application system, scrapping the one-month visa on arrival for foreigners, except Maldivians and Singaporeans.

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