Traders in Lahore’s Kahna area have announced a complete market shutdown today to mourn the deaths of 14 children who were killed when the roof of a tuition centre collapsed.
In a show of solidarity with the affected families, Kahna traders have decided to keep all markets and commercial centres closed for the day. The business community said the closure is a gesture of mourning and support for the victims’ families following one of the deadliest building collapse incidents in the area.
At least 14 children were killed, and several others were injured after the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area yesterday, on Tuesday.
The accident happened while around 30 children were attending classes. The roof suddenly fell and trapped the children under the debris.
Names of deceased children
According to hospital sources, the children who lost their lives have been identified as Abdullah, son of Mustafa, 8; Salman, son of Waseem, 8; Urooj, daughter of Mustafa, 9; Mahnoor, daughter of Farooq, 8; Tashbeeh, daughter of Shehzada, 7; Fawad, son of Muhammad Abid, 8; Iman Fatima, daughter of Mustafa, 11; Khadija, daughter of Waseem, 12; Urooj, daughter of Murtaza, 6; Artaza, 4; Ramsha, 6; Ali, son of Farmaan, 6; Arham, son of Hassan Ali, 8; Dua, daughter of Gulfam, 7; and Abdullah, son of Asghar, 7.
Some of the injured children are 8-year-old Abia, 10-year-old Faria, 11-year-old Murtaza, 8-year-old Eyan, 7-year-old Rabia, and 30-year-old Hamidah Rehman, according to reports. A female teacher is also among the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz has taken notice of the roof collapse incident. She has also sought a detailed report from the authorities. According to the reports, two brothers who owned the tuition centre and a contractor have been arrested.
Lahore tuition roof collapse incident
Rescue 1122 reached the scene soon after the collapse and started a rescue operation. Early reports said that eight to 10 children were trapped.
However, rescuers later found that nearly 30 children had been inside the tuition centre at the time of the incident.
According to the reports, Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran confirmed that 14 children had died in the collapse.
