Data Darbar wall collapse claims one life

LAHORE: A man was killed after a wall collapsed during construction work at the Data Darbar site in Lahore, police said on Monday.

According to initial reports, the incident occurred near Gate No. 2 when a wall collapsed after being struck by a crane. As a result, a 38-year-old man, identified as Shahid, was buried under the debris.

Nearby citizens rushed to the scene and managed to pull him out of the rubble by their own efforts. However, he later succumbed to his injuries after being shifted to the hospital.

Police responded promptly after receiving information about the incident and cordoned off the construction site.

DSP Hafiz Ubaidullah reached the spot and initiated an investigation, with evidence collected from the scene.

Authorities have arrested five individuals, including the safety officer and crane staff, on charges of negligence. The arrested staff have been identified as Tahir, Hamza, Mudassar, Ameer Muawiya, and Luqman. A case has been registered against them.

The incident comes months after a tragedy in January, when a young mother and her minor daughter lost their lives after falling into an open manhole at the under-construction Data Darbar expansion project.

Following that incident, the Punjab government suspended the entire project team, including those involved in the Bhati Chowk remodelling, after a preliminary inquiry found negligence.

The project consultant, NESPAK, was also issued a show-cause notice, with a recommendation to suspend the resident engineer.

Further investigation into the latest incident is underway.