RAWALPINDI: Army contingents moved in Saturday to join the rescue efforts at the site of shopping centre that collapsed after over a 12 hour long blaze.
Around a dozen rescue workers and volunteers are feared trapped in the collapsed section of the six-storey building that caught fire in the early hours of Saturday.
The rescue workers have so far shifted ten injured to different hospitals, where a state of emergency has been announced.
The contingent of military engineers along with earth moving equipment have been rushed to the site, Inter Services Public Relations said.
A massive rescue operation is now underway to retrieve around a dozen fire-fighters and volunteers feared trapped in the collapsed building situation in the heart of city's shopping area.
The building collapsed after it suffered structural damage due to the around 12-hour long blaze despite the efforts of the fire fighters from the Rawalpindi and Islamabad, a senior Rescue official said.
Gakhar plaza was city's largest shopping centre housing over 350 stores selling garments, electronics, shoes and leather goods.
Earlier hundreds of volunteers, mostly shopkeepers, people from the nearby areas and rescue workers rushed to the scene to dig out manually the people trapped inside.
The authorities were trying to clear the area, fearing that the remaining structure might collapse anytime. The cause of the fire, that erupted at around 0300 hrs in the morning, could not be ascertained, police said.
Heavy construction machinery is being brought in to remove the heavy concrete beams to reach out to the trapped people.
The authorities even used helicopters to douse the blaze, but a portion of the building collapsed at around 1450 hrs.
source:www.thearynews.com
Around a dozen rescue workers and volunteers are feared trapped in the collapsed section of the six-storey building that caught fire in the early hours of Saturday.
The rescue workers have so far shifted ten injured to different hospitals, where a state of emergency has been announced.
The contingent of military engineers along with earth moving equipment have been rushed to the site, Inter Services Public Relations said.
A massive rescue operation is now underway to retrieve around a dozen fire-fighters and volunteers feared trapped in the collapsed building situation in the heart of city's shopping area.
The building collapsed after it suffered structural damage due to the around 12-hour long blaze despite the efforts of the fire fighters from the Rawalpindi and Islamabad, a senior Rescue official said.
Gakhar plaza was city's largest shopping centre housing over 350 stores selling garments, electronics, shoes and leather goods.
Earlier hundreds of volunteers, mostly shopkeepers, people from the nearby areas and rescue workers rushed to the scene to dig out manually the people trapped inside.
The authorities were trying to clear the area, fearing that the remaining structure might collapse anytime. The cause of the fire, that erupted at around 0300 hrs in the morning, could not be ascertained, police said.
Heavy construction machinery is being brought in to remove the heavy concrete beams to reach out to the trapped people.
The authorities even used helicopters to douse the blaze, but a portion of the building collapsed at around 1450 hrs.
source:www.thearynews.com
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