August 13, 2008	Wednesday	Sha’aban 10, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 12: Lashing rain on Tuesday proved fatal for seven people, including a couple, while many others suffered injuries in roof-collapse and other incidents.

Hafiz Illyas and his wife Marya Illyas, parents of three, were shifting their belongings from their house at Bostan Colony (Qainchi Amar Sadhu) after water crept inside the dwelling. They suffered severe electric shock when current passed through water from a switch-board, Rescue 1122 and Edhi officials said, adding that the couple fell unconscious.

They said the neighbours brought them to the main Ferozepur Road, out of the knee-deep rainwater, and took them to the Ittefaq Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Union Council Naib Nazim Hafiz Zahoorullah Chishti said the locals themselves launched rescue activities, blaming the local MPA for not bothering to reach the spot.

In another incident, 20-year-old Muhammad Azam was passing through a street near Sukh Nehar Stop, Baghbanpura, when he suffered an electric shock as he touched a gas pipeline. Azam died on the spot.

The family of the victim, a local resident, and area people later demonstrated against the Lesco sub-divisional officer and demanded action against him for negligence.

The chief minister’s task force, which reached the spot, assured the protesters that an FIR would be registered against the SDO.

Three men suffered electric shocks through a wall at their Badami Bagh workplace. Muhammad Afzaal, Rafaqat and Azam were shifted to the Mayo Hospital where they succumbed to injuries.

An employee of a school at Factory Area, Bibi Allah Rakhi by name, was removing water from the school premises when she received electric shocks and fell unconscious. She later expired at the Lahore General Hospital.

A young mason slipped from the roof an under-construction building on Ravi Road and died instantly. Muhammad Shaukat of Sahiwal was doing work at the rooftop of the building when he slipped and died.

A youth, Ansar, was standing at the roof of his house at Shahdara Town’s Fareed Colony when he touched a livewire and fell unconscious. He was admitted to Mayo Hospital in a critical condition.

A middle-aged man suffered severe electric shock near Saidpur stop on Multan Road and was shifted to hospital.

ROOF-COLLAPSE INCIDENTS: Two girls and a boy were injured in two roof-collapse incidents in the provincial capital on Tuesday.

The Rescue 1122 officials said the dilapidated roof of a house collapsed on Bara Dari Road (Shahdara) as a result of which two girls were trapped under the debris. Shazia, 22, and Haleema, 20, were rescued in a state of injuries and shifted to the Mayo Hospital.

Meanwhile, a single-storey house collapsed owing to heavy rain near Bagrian Chowk, Green Town. The Rescue 1122 responded timely and shifted Ahsan, 16, who was injured, to the Jinnah Hospital.