By Faizan Khan
LAHORE: The tuition teacher injured in the roof collapse that killed 14 children in Lahore’s Kahna area has rejected claims that construction work was under way at the time of the accident, saying the children were not being taught in unsafe conditions.
In a statement following the incident, the teacher said she would not have held classes if building work had been in progress or if electricity had been unavailable. The roof of the tuition centre collapsed on 30 June, killing 14 children and injuring several others, including the teacher.
Rescue workers, assisted by local residents, pulled those trapped beneath the rubble and transported the injured to hospital. The teacher said the classroom where lessons were being held had a completed roof and that construction work on the room had already been finished.
Owing to financial constraints, she said, she had been unable to reconstruct the entire house or install a new roof slab, adding that only the ceiling had been reinforced. She said she was trapped under the debris when the roof collapsed. Her daughter, her brother-in-law’s children and her one-and-a-half-year-old niece were also inside the building at the time.
The teacher said she still did not know the condition of several of the children who had been present during the collapse. Rejecting reports that construction work was continuing when the incident occurred, she said she did not know what had caused the roof to fall. Authorities are investigating the collapse to determine the cause of the accident and whether any negligence contributed to the tragedy.
