RAHIM YAR KHAN: At least Seven women were killed and more than 75 injured during a roof collapse when hundreds of women gathered at a retail shop in Tibba area to collect Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) amount around 11am on Monday.

Reports said more than 200 women had gathered outside Sajjad Karyana Store, a designated BISP retailer, at Chak 123-P Tibba, about 13 km from the city. Many of them had moved to the first floor of the shop waiting for their turn to receive payment.

According to eyewitnesses, the roof reportedly built with weak T-iron and girders could not withstand the weight of the large crowd and suddenly collapsed.

An eyewitness said seven women died on the spot while more than 30 others were injured during the stampede. Initially, local residents started rescue efforts on a self-help basis before emergency services were called.

Later, teams of Rescue 1122 reached the site, launched relief operations and shifted the injured to the Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH).

The witness said women had been waiting at the shop since morning, but the retailer had not started releasing payment despite having several devices. Many women were reportedly directed to wait on the first floor, which resulted in overcrowding.

BISP Rahim Yar Khan Director Talha Bin Aman initially told Dawn that five women had died and around 20 others were injured in the incident. He said the large turnout was due to the approaching Eid festival.

Following the incident, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Zaheer Anwar Jappa and District Police Officer (DPO) Irfan Ali Samoon reached the spot, supervised the rescue operation and later visited the injured at SZMCH. The district administration declared an emergency at the hospital.

According to a spokesperson for the district administration, four bodies were initially brought to the hospital while 57 people were reported injured, one of them critically. A detailed report was being prepared by the district administration and Rescue 1122.

Before filing this report at 7pm, the district administration confirmed that seven women had died in the incident. The deceased were identified as Shahnaz (50), Mariyum (40), Bakhtawar (35), Anwar Mai (50), Haleema Bibi (49), Parveen Akhtar and Zulekhian.

In a press release, the district administration said the incident occurred at a JazzCash private payment point being used for BISP disbursements. The weak infrastructure of the first-floor collapsed, leaving seven women dead and dozens injured, while around 76 women were affected overall.

Authorities said rescue teams responded promptly and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment, while an investigation into the incident has been initiated.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and sought a report on the incident.

Commissioner Bahawalpur Division Musarrat Jabeen visited Sheikh Zayed Hospital along with Regional Police Officer Ghazi Salahuddin to inquire about the condition of the injured. DC Zaheer Anwar Jappa and DPO Irfan Ali Samoon were also present.

Officials said the accident occurred at around 10:39am when a large number of women had gathered at the payment point to receive the third installment of the BISP.

Rescue 1122 launched relief operations with more than 10 ambulances and rescue vehicles. With the help of local residents, rescuers removed debris and shifted the injured to Sheikh Zayed Hospital, where emergency measures were enforced and additional doctors and paramedical staff were called in.

The DC and DPO later visited the hospital to meet the injured and received a briefing from doctors about the medical facilities being provided.

Commissioner Musarrat Jabeen expressed deep grief over the incident, saying the tragedy had caused immense sorrow. She said the chief minister had conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased and directed authorities to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.

She added that the Punjab government stood with the affected families in this difficult time.

The commissioner further said the district administration had launched a comprehensive investigation and strict legal action would be taken if negligence was found. An inquiry committee headed by the additional deputy commissioner (general) has been formed and directed to submit its report within 24 hours.

Airport Police have registered a first information report (FIR) on the complaint of BISP Director Talha Bin Aman, stating that under the SOPs and the agreement with the service provider, the agents were responsible for arranging proper facilities and ensuring safe payment distribution.

As per the complaint, one Arain was operating the payment device at the shop. During the distribution process, shop operators Basharat, Rashid, Arif and Hassan allegedly gathered a large number of women on the roof of their shop to process payments. The shop owners failed to arrange proper safety measures despite being aware that the roof structure could not support such a heavy load.

The complainant alleges that the incident occurred due to extreme negligence and violation of the BISP standard operating procedures by the shop operators.

Police have registered the case under relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including Section 322, against the accused persons, who reportedly fled the scene after the incident.

The authorities have launched an investigation, and a police team has been dispatched to the site to collect evidence and complete further legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, on the direction of President Asif Ali Zardari, BISP Chairperson Robina Khalid reached the town and visited the injured. A team from the BISP headquarter left for RYK to probe the incident

According to a BISP announcement, the partner bank has been issued a notice for `negligence’ and it may be slapped with a heavy fine

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026