LAHORE, Aug 30: Only one of the 95 buildings in the LDA-controlled Shahalam Market has been found legally constructed, reveals a report of the committee formed in the wake of the collapse of a multi-storey plaza on Thursday last.

The collapse has resulted in two deaths and injuries to several others besides a loss of millions of rupees.

Such a grave level of violations of buildings code has shocked the authorities and put a question mark over the performance of the LDA’s estate management that also does not have the record of 50 per cent of the buildings.

Either illegal basements have been constructed or more floors added to the approved structures later, the survey says, adding the maximum altitude of the buildings is also over and above the permissible limits.

Most of the violations have been committed during the last 10 years or so, the committee observed.

The inquiry report was presented in a meeting of the district government authorities on Wednesday that decided to ban digging of basements in the already constructed buildings in the Shahalam area and seal all such structures where excavation work was going on.

The meeting was attended by district nazim Mian Amer Mahmood, district coordination officer Muhammad Ijaz, LDA director-general Raja Muhammad Abbas and other officials concerned.

The district nazim was displeased at the delay in submitting another inquiry report on the same incident by a committee comprising LDA officials.

He sought a comprehensive plan for bringing an end to the trend of constructing buildings with structural faults and without getting approved the site plans.

He also directed immediate action against dangerous structures for saving lives and property of people living in adjoining buildings.

The meeting also decided to withdraw dual charge of the post of allocation committee chairman from the LDA Town Planning director.

Meanwhile, debris of the four collapsed floors of China Towers could not be removed even today (Wednesday) keeping the business in the adjoining areas closed for the fifth consecutive day.