Gas leakage blast kills 3 in Rawalpindi, cause of 2,869 fire incidents was ascertained as carelessness in 2016. Motorbike Ambulance service Pakistan is the brain child idea of journalist/chief volunteer Asghar Ali Mubarak visit Doha /Qatar experience last year,

Gas leakage blast kills 3 in Rawalpindi; cause of 2,869 fire incidents was ascertained as carelessness in 2016.  Motorbike Ambulance service Pakistan is the brain child idea of journalist/chief volunteer Asghar Ali Mubarak’s experience Doha /Qatar last year,

 

By.Asghar Ali Mubarak

 RAWALPINDI: At least three people were killed and as many wounded in a gas leakage explosion in Rawalpindi /Islamabad PWD colony near to media town on other day <Friday morning>. . A woman, her newborn baby girl and maid were killed and five others sustained injuries in the incident. The explosion shook the house, causing collapse of the roof. The bodies and the injured have been shifted to PIMS hospital Islamabad. The tragedy befell on a family after an LPG cylinder exploded inside a house in Islamabad on other day. The incident took place at a private television channel’s Director Admin and Finance Laiq Ahmad Bajwa’s house located in PWD locality near media town According to Rescue sources; the deceased include a woman and her daughter, and their housemaid. The usage of LPG cylinders has increased due to zero sui-gas pressure aimed cold weather in twin cities. The Rescue1122 Rawalpindi team immediately after the incident reached at the spot and completed rescue work efficiently .It is mentioned here that the Rescue 1122 responded to 14,033 fire emergencies and saved losses worth over Rs 36 billion in all districts of Punjab last year. The rescue teams also rescued 904 victims in fire emergencies due to timely response and professional fire fighting on modern lines. According to available information the  904 persons were injured during fire emergencies all over the Punjab including 221 in Lahore, 130 in Rawalpindi and 125 in Faisalabad, whereas 72 people died all over the Punjab in fire emergency last year. Furthermore, 7321 fire cases took place due to short circuiting, 795 due to gas leakage and cause of 2,869 fire incidents was ascertained as carelessness in2016. The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer is looking busy to promote a culture of safety in Pakistan. In an interview Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer said that it is need of the hour to ensure implementation of safety standards as per building by-laws to prevent an increasing number of fire Incidents and protect the citizens, especially those living in high rise buildings. He said that Rescue 1122 was not just providing the emergency victims with the basic right to timely emergency care, but we also believe in saving lives and changing minds. Dr Rizwan Naseer said the Rescue 1122 had emerged as a successful model of emergency services delivery during the last 12 years, adding that Rescue 1122 would mark 2017 as a Year of Safety.Dr Rizwan Naseer said the PES was now working towards changing mindsets to establish socially responsible, healthy and more resilient communities to achieve the goal of the emergency services. He said that capacity building programmes and various awareness campaigns launched by the service would create awareness and help the volunteers to adopt preventive measures and preparation for disasters in all the respective localities to promote a culture of safety. Rescue 1122 Fire Service had responded to more than 86,000 fire emergencies and saved losses worth over Rs186 billion since its establishment in 2007.Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer said the PES rescued 731,107 emergency victims while conducting 671,686 rescue operations last year besides responding to 14,033 fire emergencies; it saved losses worth over Rs 36 billion due to timely response and professional firefighting on modern lines in all districts of Punjab.The DG said that 238,785 road accidents took place across the province in 2016 whereas 227,390 road accidents were reported in 2015– and increase of 2.44 percent. Similarly, 14,033 fire incidents were reported in Punjab in 2016 as compared to 11,565 cases reported in 2015.The Rescue 1122 managed 327,843 medical emergencies last year as compared to 295,323 medical cases in 2015, showing an increase of 5.21 percent.The Rescue 1122 responded to 21,182 crimes related calls in 2016 as compared to 21,747 in 2015, with an increase of 565 cases. Total 154 explosions were reported in 2016 in Punjab as compared to 173 cases during 2015. Rescue 1122 also responded to 1,097 cases of drowning, 567 building collapses and 68,025 miscellaneous incidents, he maintained. As many as 904 people were injured during fire emergencies all over Punjab, including 221 in Lahore, 130 in Rawalpindi and 125 in Faisalabad, whereas 72 people died in Punjab in fire emergency during 2016.About 134 cases were reported of LPG cylinder blasts, 136 fireworks, 45 candle lights, 108 kitchen fires, 136 forest fires, 486 unknown and 1,973 other fires. A total 4468 fire emergencies took place in commercial areas and 4622 in residential and 4943 in other areas, adding that the most incidents occurred due to a violation or poor implementation of fire and life safety codes. He said that it was needed to establish an effective Building Control Authority in order to implement building laws. Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer highlighted the core areas needed to be addressed by the building owners of high-rise buildings to ensure safe building construction, installation of proper emergency exits, fire alarms, availability of fire extinguishers, fire hydrants and sprinklers systems for high-rise buildings, industry and warehouses for the prevention of fire emergencies. He said the owners of the industrial units and occupants of high-rise buildings should also realize the significance of proper exits, and requested them not to risk their lives and their business by evading safety measures for limited financial gains in comparison with the total investments. The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer said that it is need of the hour to ensure implementation of safety standards as per building by-laws to prevent an increasing number of fire Incidents and protect the citizens, especially those living in high rise buildings. It is interesting fact mentioned here that the Motorbike Ambulance service for Pakistan is the brain child idea of journalist/chief volunteer Asghar Ali Mubarak  visit of  Doha /Qatar  experience last year,for the Motorbike Ambulance service asghar ali Mubarak  shared , discussed and  disclosed ideas with Dr,Abdul Rehman in charge Rawalpindi and PRO Ms,Deba Shenaz  during a meeting and also talked to YAMAHA’s motor bike country north manger Mr.Shahid Qureshi as old media partner in this regards.

The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer said that motorbike ambulance service would be established in 9 divisions of Punjab including Lahore, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal in next four months to ensure prompt response to emergencies during rush hours. This motorbike service would further enhance the operational capacity of the emergency services in Punjab to provide swift respond to any emergency in these major cities of Punjab, especially in congested areas and during traffic jams, he added.