Another inferno takes seven lives of construction workers

Seven construction workers lost their lives and fourteen injured when fire broke out in their residential building. These workers were employed by the Habib construction company busy building the package 1 of the orange line train project. The incident took place when a gas cylender exploded and fire broke out as the result. The fire was so strong that seven workers could not get a chance to run away and burnt alive. Their bodies are recogniseable.

Most of the victims were very young between the ages of 18 and 30. There were few workers at the time of explosion otherwise death toll could have been much bigger. More than 250 workers live in that residential complex but most of them were at work.

The gas cylenders were used to cook meal for workers. There was twelve gas cylenders at the time of incident. This is the second serious work related incident since the work started at Orange Line train project. Many workers lost their lives when a wall collapsed on the workers last year.

The companies working at different projects should make it sure that all the safety measures are at place both on the work site and at the residential camps. The timely completion of the projects is important but not important than human lives. The safety and well being of workers should not be ignored in the speedy completion of projects.

The government and contract should extend every possible help to the injured and the families of the deceased workers. They should be paid proper compensesion for the loss of their loved ones.