SAHIWAL: Two labourers were buried alive during excavation for the foundation of a multi-storey commercial plaza near Flying Coach Adda, Nageena Chowk, Pakpattan, Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses said the contractors had not implemented basic safety measures before sending workers for 10-12 feet deep digging for foundation.

According to reports, three labourers were working in the foundation trench when the soil wall caved in. One worker was critically injured but pulled out by local passersby before the arrival of Rescue 1122. His two companions, however, were buried under tonnes of sand and concrete debris.

The deceased were identified as Irfan, a resident of 31/SP, and Shafqat, a resident of Apna Town, Pakpattan.

Medical reports confirmed that both suffered severe chest injuries, leading to their deaths. Later in the evening, Pakpattan police registered two cases against the contractors and building owners for failing to observe safety protocols and endangering workers’ lives.

Rescue Safety Officer Abdur Razza told Dawn that it took more than four hours and over two dozen rescuers to remove mud and concrete debris before recovering the bodies of the labourers. Heavy cranes, tractors and dozens of citizens assisted Rescue 1122 personnel in the recovery operation.

Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza, District Police Officer Javed Chadhar, DSP Inamul Haq and Assistant Commissioner Rab Nawaz Matllo rushed to the site to oversee the rescue efforts.

ACCIDENT: A woman was killed and her husband critically injured when their motorcycle collided with a dysfunctional tractor-trolley parked along the road near Bunga Hayat, Pakpattan on Wednesday night.

Rescue sources reported that Naseem Bibi (28) died on the spot, while her husband, Allah Yar (35), sustained severe wounds. The injured man and the deceased were shifted to DHQ Hospital Pakpattan.

The couple belonged to village 65/D, tehsil Pakpattan.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2025