Eight killed, 30 injured as roof collapses during wedding

PARACHINAR: At least eight persons, including women and children, were killed and over 30 sustained injuries when the roof of a house collapsed during a wedding ceremony in the remote Pewar Ghundikhel area in Kurram tribal district on Wednesday.

Police sources said that a marriage ceremony was going on in the home of one Mir Ghulam, a retired subedar, when all of a sudden the roof of a two-storey mud-thatched house caved in, burying women and children alive under the debris.

They said the locals rushed to the spot and started rescue activities on self-help basis.

Later, the teams of district administration and Rescue 1122 also reached Pewar, which is located near the Pak-Afghan border area, and launched rescue operations.

The locals and Rescue 1122 teams pulled the bodies and injured from the rubble and shifted them to the hospital.

Deputy Medical Superintendent of District Headquarters Hospital, Parachinar, Dr Qaiser Abbas, said that eight persons, including women and children, had been killed in the tragic incident.

He added that over 30 other women and children had also sustained injuries in the roof collapse incident.

Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir told the media that teams of district administration and Rescue 1122 were sent to Pewar area soon after the incident and launched rescue activities.

He said that the injured had been shifted to the hospital and the doctors were directed to provide the best medical treatment to the victims.

The official said that the Federal Disaster Management Authority had also been contacted to provide financial assistance to the affected families. He appealed to the people to donate blood for the injured persons to save precious lives.