MULTAN, Nov 18: At least seven women were killed and 64 including children injured on Tuesday when the upper storey of a godown, where they had gathered to attend a Soyem, collapsed in Arifwala town of Pakpattan district.

Reports reaching here revealed that over 100 women had gathered in the upper storey compartment of a fertilizer godown owned by Nadeem Zulfikar in Ramazan town of the area. A man Muhammad Sharif, who died the other day, had rented the compartment.

Mr Sharif’s nephew Muhammad Asharf, an Arifwala PML-N leader, had organized his Soyem. Arrangements for the women participants were made in the two-room compartment of Muhammad Sharif while for men in a nearby mosque.

The women were reciting the Holy Quran when the upper storey of the godown collapsed. Eyewitnesses said the building caved in with a bang.

When contacted, a duty officer at the Arifwala city police station confirmed the death of five women and a girl who were identified as Rasheeda (w/o Niaz Ahmed), Rasheeda, (d/o Din Muhammad), Noor Bibi, Sardaran Mai, Rehmat Bibi and Amina, 13.

But officials at the Arifwala tehsil headquarters hospital put the toll at seven as another participant Sheeda Bibi died before getting any medical aid. Hospital medical officer Dr Jehangir told Dawn as many as 103 injured women were brought to the OPD. Most of them had fractured bones.

He said 64 of the victims had minor injuries while 39 were severely wounded. Around 17 of the severely injured had been admitted to the hospital while the rest were referred to hospitals in Lahore, Sahiwal and Faisalabad, he added.

Dr Jehangir said an emergency was declared in the area and doctors and paramedics were called to handle the situation.

Arifwala city police said the owner of the godown had gone underground after the tragedy and the police were searching for him.