Rescuers ordered to implement fire safety codes

LAHORE

The Punjab Emergency Services, Rescue 1122, director general on Tuesday said that there was a dire need of effective enforcement and implementation of fire safety codes given in building bylaws.

He said that main steps, including external steel staircases, fire doors, pressurised external hydrants system, evacuation plan and emergency lighting system, installation of fire extinguishers, clear access and removal of obstructions from rooftops could ensure life safety in high-rise buildings.

He said this while chairing a meeting of emergency officers to review performance of emergency operations during the last month in all 36 districts of Punjab to ensure uniform standard of the service.

Date showed that majority of fire incidents occurred in major cities, including 224 fire in Lahore, 119 in Faisalabad, 94 in Rawalpindi, 53 in Multan, 53 in Gujranwala and 29 in Sialkot.

The DG asked the officers to maintain standard of the emergency service by timely repair and maintenance of the vehicles and equipment and best use of the available resources. He directed all the district emergency officers to take morning round of rescue stations, inspect vehicles and build working liaison with junior staff for effective working.

The emergency data showed that 88,826 victims of different emergencies were rescued by the Service while conducting 54,651 rescue operations last month all over Punjab, with average response time of seven minutes. About 3,650 traffic accidents were reported in Lahore, 1,983 in Faisalabad, 1,068 in Gujranwala and 1,129 in Multan and 760 in Rawalpindi.

Rescue 1122 responded to 20,351 emergency calls related to road traffic accidents, 25,401 medical emergencies, 1009 fire incidents, 1,599 crime incidents, 69 drowning incidents, 28 building collapses, 11 explosions and 6,183 miscellaneous operations.

found dead: A 60-year-old man was found dead in the area of Data Darbar police on Tuesday.

Police suspected that the man, yet to be identified, might have died at the hands of some unidentified swindlers. The body has been removed to mortuary.

Body found: A 35-year-old man, unidentified so far, was found dead in the Lorry Ada police area on Tuesday.

A passerby spotted the body and informed police.  Police said the man looked an addict and he might have of died of an overdose of drugs. However, autopsy and investigations would help ascertain the cause of his death, they said.

Police have removed the body to morgue and are searching for his family. 

Killed on road: A 45-year-old man was killed in a road accident here on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Ghulam Haider of Defence. Two cars collided with each other near Jinnah Hospital Underpass, as a result, Ghulam Haider sustained fatal injuries. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police have removed the body to morgue and impounded the vehicle.

Prisons dept: Punjab Prisons Department has dismissed 18 officials from service over long absence from duty without any leave or notice to the department.

The jail administration said the department sent three notices to the absent officials but they didn’t turn up on their duties. Kot Lakhpat Jail Superintendent Ch Ijaz Asghar issued orders of their dismissal during orderly room on Tuesday. The dismissed officials are: Ali Abbas, Rizwan, Adeel Hassan, Tariq, Irshad Ahmad, Naeem and Tanver Siddique. 

arrested: A team of FIA Lahore Tuesday conducted a raid under the supervision of Deputy Director Jameel Ahmed Khan Mayo at a shop in Shah Alam Market and arrested an accused involved in Hundi/Hawala.

According to FIA officials, the raiding team included SHO Inspector Sarwar Asghar, Sub-Inspector Rana Ijaz, ASI Nadir Azad and Shahzad Ahmed. The raiding team arrested one accused namely Gull Noor for his alleged involvement in illegal business of Hundi/Hawala. 

The team also recovered Rs806,050, mobile phones and registers from the premises. The case has been registered.

accidents: Total 598 road accidents were reported to the Provincial Monitoring Cell of Punjab Emergency Service, Rescue 1122, from all 36 districts of Punjab during the last 24 hours.

Fifteen people were killed and 467 badly injured in the accidents. The injured were shifted to hospitals. However, some 203 victims who sustained minor injuries were provided with first aid by the emergency medical teams.

PHP: Punjab Highway Patrol claimed to have arrested 18 criminals, including seven proclaimed offenders (POs). 

PHP teams arrested seven POs, identified as  Riaz Hussain, M Yaqoob, Abid Hussain, Hazoor Baksh, Ghulam Murtaza, Fayyaz Ahmad and M Elahi. 

PHP arrested 10 accused, including M Shahbaz, Aqeel Hussain, Iqbal Hussain, Akbar Ali, Azhar Iqbal, Ramzan and M Javid and recovered a pistol, a rifle and seven cartridges from their possession.

In addition, PHP reunited three children, Rafique Ahmad, Amin and M Yasir, with their parents.