LAHORE: At least 14 children were killed and several others injured after the roof of a tuition centre collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area on Tuesday.
Rescue teams immediately rushed to the site after the incident was reported and launched a search and rescue operation to retrieve those trapped under the debris.
The deceased and injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, where those injured are receiving treatment.
Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said that 19 children were brought to Kahna Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital following the incident. The minister confirmed that 14 children had died in the collapse.
“After receiving initial medical treatment, two children were discharged, while four others remain in the hospital,” he said
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Lahore Faisal Kamran told the media that the contractor responsible for the recent construction of the building had been arrested. He said that a portion of the building was still under construction, with labourers present at the site when the roof collapsed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives, extending his condolences to the bereaved families and praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also took notice of the incident and sought a report from the relevant authorities.
Last July, 27 people were killed and 10 others injured after a five-storey residential building collapsed in the impoverished Lyari area of Karachi.
