LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif ordered an immediate safety audit on Thursday for all school buildings located in densely populated areas across the province. Consequently, she issued the urgent directive following a fatal building collapse at an unauthorized summer camp operating inside a private school in Lahore’s Baghbanpura neighborhood. The structural failure claimed the life of an eight-year-old boy and left several others injured. Meanwhile, the incident has intensified severe public anxieties regarding structural safety inside provincial educational facilities.
According to Rescue 1122 personnel, the tragedy occurred near Women College Road during construction work on the top floor of the three-story facility. The incomplete structure suddenly gave way. As a result, heavy debris crashed down onto the ground floor and the adjacent street. Emergency teams deployed twenty-five rescuers and seven specialized vehicles to carefully clear the rubble. Subsequently, rescuers pulled four injured construction workers from the debris. They quickly shifted the victims to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention.
This devastating incident occurs just two days after a catastrophic roof collapse at an illegal tuition center in Kahna claimed the lives of fourteen young children. Therefore, the provincial government has initiated strict legal action against negligent school administrators and contractors. For this reason, the education department immediately suspended two assistant education officers for failing to regulate unauthorized summer programs. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz extended deep condolences to the grieving family and instructed medical staff to provide the best possible healthcare to the surviving victims without any delay.
