KARACHI: Two men were killed and a woman was critically injured when a wall of an under-construction hospital building collapsed on the outskirts of the city on Monday.

Rescue 1122 official Hassaan Khan told Dawn that Dr Rasool Bux Abro and retired police inspector Khadim Husain Lashari, who owned the under-construction building, had acquired a plot adjacent to a hospital in Shah Latif Town, where construction work for its expansion was underway.

“The wall suddenly collapsed, injuring people sitting or passing nearby, resulting in the death of Dr Abro, 65, and Mr Lashari, 65,” he added.

He said that a woman, along with her minor child, was passing through the area and she also came under the debris. Identified as Ruqqaya Irfani, she was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where her condition was stated to be serious. Her child suffered bruises and was provided first aid on the spot.

Regarding the possible cause of the wall collapse, Mr Khan opined that it appeared to be unplanned construction. He noted it was connected to the existing hospital structure via a wall and it appeared that the structure was not stable.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2024