Five workers killed as roof of warehouse collapses in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: At least five workers were killed and three injured on Tuesday after the roof of a warehouse collapsed on the outskirts of Islamabad, prompting the district administration to seal the property and initiate an inquiry.
According to the top district administration official, a committee has been constituted to investigate how the roof of the building in the Humak area caved in and to determine if there were any precautionary measures in place that could have prevented the incident.
“It was an under-construction building that has been sealed now, but unfortunately, five workers have lost their lives in the tragic incident,” Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon told Arab News.
The district administration has shifted the injured to a hospital for treatment. Three of the deceased have been identified as residents of Taunsa Sharif in Dera Gazi Khan district in Punjab and one from Malir in Karachi.
“The inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the incident, and further action will be taken in light of the inquiry report,” Memon said.
Rescue officials arrived at the scene soon after the incident, saying they saved the lives of at least two workers by timely pulling them out of the rubble.
Roof collapses are not uncommon in Pakistan, especially during the monsoon season, though such incidents are mostly reported from remote parts of the country where people live in mud houses.
An incident like this in Islamabad can raise concerns about building safety standards in the capital city.