GUJRANWALA, Sept 18: Seven workers were killed while another 14 suffered injuries, two of them serious, when the roof of a factory collapsed on them as to the result of a boiler explosion at Kamoke in the early hours of Thursday.

Reports reaching here said that about 21 labourers were busy working during the night shift at the straw board factory on Chaudhry Abdul Wakeel Khan Road when the boiler exploded with a bang. The explosion was so intense that it brought down the factory roof, burying the workers under the rubble. The area people and workers of nearby factories carried out the rescue work which was later joined by the Rescue 1122 squad.

Six workers, Mohsin Ali Shah, Shoaib, Mehmood, Manzoor, Muhammad Abbas and Ali Abbas, were recovered dead from the debris while Azizur Rehman died at the DHQ Hospital.

The Rescue 1122 rushed the injured workers to the Civil Hospital, Kamoke, and the DHQ Hospital, Gujranwala. Two of the injured, Gulfam and Ashfaq, were shifted to Mayo Hospital, Lahore, in critical condition. Bodies of workers were handed over to their heirs.

It was learnt that the workers had informed the owners that boiler was defective, but they paid no heed to their complaints. Owners Shaukat and Tariq however claimed that six newly-recruited staff could not properly handle the functioning of the boiler. However, the police took them into custody.

Cardiology institute: The outdoor of under-construction 200-bed cardiology institute in Wazirabad will be operational in December.

Dr Asif Javed, the project director, Institute of Cardiology, told Dawn that the building structure had been completed and, at present, electrification and other works were in progress. The institute is spread over 65 kanals of land while another piece of 74 kanals has been earmarked for staff colony.

ARREST: A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raiding party claimed on Thursday to have arrested a notorious proclaimed offender after a brief encounter from Noshehra Virkan.

Accused Aish Muhammad was wanted in dozens of cases of human smuggling.

The FIA said the accused had confessed to having sent dozens of people to Greece through Iran and Turkey by charging Rs 900,000 each.

SUSPENDED: A primary school headmaster was suspended by the district administration for his absence from duty.

DCO Dr Pervaiz Ahmad Khan paid surprise visits to various schools and found Government Primary School, Tibba Muhammad Nagar, headmaster Javed Iqbal absent from duty.

He expressed satisfaction over the performance of Government Girls Primary School, Tibba Muhammad Nagar and gave a cash award of Rs 5,000 to its teacher.

Opinion

Editorial

Pressure politics
27 May, 2026

Pressure politics

THE Abraham Accords were presented as a historic peace initiative in the Middle East. In reality, they were...
Eid’s true spirit
Updated 27 May, 2026

Eid’s true spirit

Pakistan celebrates Eid while grappling with economic strain that continues to weigh heavily on ordinary households.
Cotton crisis
27 May, 2026

Cotton crisis

PAKISTAN’S declining cotton economy is rapidly turning into a case study in policy contradiction. Amid endless...
Balochistan tragedy
Updated 26 May, 2026

Balochistan tragedy

The state keeps reiterating the role of hostile foreign actors in fomenting unrest, yet seems to be short on ideas on how to prevent the ingress of such actors and their ideologies in Baloch society.
Economic engagement
26 May, 2026

Economic engagement

AN array of investment MoUs valued at $7bn signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s China visit signifies...
Flotilla abuse
26 May, 2026

Flotilla abuse

THE testimonies that have emerged from international activists, who were part of a Gaza-bound flotilla, paint a...