RAHIM YAR KHAN: At least six women died and several others were injured on Monday when the roof of a shop collapsed in Rahim Yar Khan’s Chak 123-P Tibba locality, police said.
District police spokesperson Zeeshan Randhawa confirmed to Dawn that six women had died in the incident.
The deceased also included some beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), who had gathered there as the grocery store housed a retailer for BISP payments.
In a statement, BISP said “women beneficiaries of the BISP were present along with other women at a payment point of a private bank” when the incident occurred.
“According to initial reports, so far, six women have died while multiple were injured due to the said shop’s roof collapsing,” it added.
It is unclear whether all six victims were BISP beneficiaries.
The BISP announced that Rs1 million in compensation would be given to the families of the deceased and Rs300,000 to the injured women. The payments will be made by tomorrow, the statement added.
The BISP said a notice has been issued to the partner bank and “a heavy fine would be imposed”.
The programme vowed that a “transparent investigation” would be conducted into the matter and strict legal action would be taken against the representatives of the partner bank.
BISP Chairperson Rubina Khalid, on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, has departed for Rahim Yar Khan to visit the site of the incident and review the situation, the statement said.
President Zardari “expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident at a [private] payment point”, where “BISP beneficiary women were also present”.
He extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the injured, the Presidency said. The president also directed Khalid to visit the site immediately.
In a statement shared by the BISP, Senator Khalid said the BISP administration was dispatching a “high-level committee” to the district to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and submit a detailed report within 24 hours.
“I am deeply saddened over the tragic incident that took place in Rahim Yar Khan today. In complete solidarity with the affected families, I am travelling to Rahim Yar Khan to assess the situation,” she was quoted as saying.
District administration spokesperson, Mohammad Ateeq Khan, told Dawn that initial reports suggested more than 200 people were gathered around the shop when the incident occurred.
The roof, built with substandard material, could not bear the load of the women and collapsed, he said.
Rescue 1122 officials started relief activities and shifted the injured to Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH), where an emergency was declared by the district administration.
In an earlier statement, BISP Rahim Yar Khan Director Talha Bin Amman also told Dawn that five women died, while 20 were injured during the mishap.
“The majority of women were at the shop because of [upcoming] Eid.”
However, initial reports by the district administration stated that 57 injured people were brought to a hospital.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness said seven women died on the spot, while more than 30 were injured during the stampede.
Rahim Yar Khan Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa and District Police Officer Irfan Ali Sammo visited the site and monitored the rescue operations. They also visited the injured at a hospital.
A detailed report of the incident was being prepared by the district administration and Rescue 1122.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
