LAHORE, July 20: Three people were killed and 12 others seriously injured when a three-storey building collapsed in Islampura on Thursday.

Two of the dead were identified as Nawaz, 38, and Shehzad Shafi, 28, while the identity of the third could not be ascertained.

The injured were rushed to the Mayo Hospital by Rescue 1122 staff of them where the condition of three was stated to be critical.

The building, owned by Aleem Khan Lodhi, had been constructed before partition and was in a dilapidated condition.

Mr Lodhi, it is reported, had offered repairs of the building to his tenants if they vacated for a few days. But the offer was reportedly turned down.

On the ground floor of the rundown structure was a barber’s shop, the first storey was occupied by a beauty parlour while third one was being used for residential purposes.

All the three dead, including barber Nawaz of Sanda, were sitting in the shop.

Nawaz’s family said he used his cell phone to inform them about the incident but due to delay in removal of the debris he could not survive.

Eyewitnesses said onlookers and crew of TV channels

created hurdles in rescue operation.

Punjab Emergency Service director-general Dr Rizwan Naseer says scientific method was used in rescuing the buried people as first of all debris was removed from their heads so that they could breath. They were also immediately administered drips.

The injured are Naseer, 30, Sarfraz, 45, Fareed, 20, Adil, 30, Shahzad Iqbal, 20, Shehnaz Bibi, 32, Bilal, 21, Mujahid, 26, and Ijaz Tahir 22.

Two of the wounded could not be named as they were unconscious and there were no documents on them.

Meanwhile, district nazim Mian Amer Mahmood, expressing sorrow over the loss of life in the building collapse, urged the people to evacuate dilapidated buildings.

He said the district government had published appeals in newspapers before the start of monsoon to abandon rundown structures. The government even issued notices to the

owners of such buildings, he added.

Mian Amer said such incidents could occur unless people cooperated with the district government.