ATTOCK: Six people, including three women and two children, were killed and two other persons critically injured when a portion of the Asfandyar District Headquarters Hospital Attock building collapsed on Monday evening.

District Emergency Officer Dr Mohammad Ishfaq told newsmen that a private room at the gynaecology ward caved in at around 8:30pm followed by two other rooms of the single-storey building.

Rescue 1122 teams reached the spot and started a rescue operation. Till filing of this report at 9:45pm, the bodies of six people had been retrieved. Two injured were also taken out from the debris and being treated.

Dr Ishfaq said two of the deceased had been identified as Zahid and Samina Bibi. He said two children were among the dead.

Dr Ishfaq expressed the fear that the causalities may rise as the rescue operation was still underway.

Deputy Commissioner Attock Rana Akbar Hayat said a preliminary investigation showed that it was not a terrorist activity. He said an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the incident would be started on Tuesday morning.

Some hospital employees told Dawn that it was a cylinder blast. They said some attendants were using the gas cylinder to cook food for their patients in the private room when the blast occurred.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad reached the spot and supervised the rescue work. He said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had sought a report on the incident from the minister health minister and the secretary.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2018