A trip to the destroyed Towers
SSSSSSh! It’s the Emergency Zone...
By Uzma Zafar

ISLAMABAD—All was quite except for a low and then shrill ‘Shhhhhhhhh’ sounding in the air at the army relief camp, adjoining the Margalla Towers or what was left of them anyway, as the media personnel walked in to cover the ongoing progress in rescue operations underway at the very spot. Suddenly, an ambulance engine revved up which was immediately quietened by the paramedics carrying masks, cops and army personnel on duty.  When asked who was to be disturbed in the debris anyway, a volunteer rescue worker and leader of scouts from Model School G-9/4; Abdul Ghani explained to The Daily Mail, “We are keeping our ears tapped to the ‘help’ sounds of entrapped victims in debris. The sounds of heavy machinery can hamper their desperate cries to reach our ears and thus we are lifting victims manually as soon as we hear a moan. We are thus, pulling out everyone manually.” About the survivors under debris, he further explained, “We believe than some 25 individuals are still alive under the rubble. Rescue-15 workers along international agencies, army men, cops, doctors, engineers and various other volunteers and agencies are at the relief of the masses.” Moreover, as if to confirm his belief, he stated, “One of the survivors have actually contacted their family on SMS saying that he was alive and surviving on water while asking for immediate assistance.”
A nurse at Shifa Hospital; Shazia Noreen, on the other hand, expressed to The Daily Mail, “At 3:00a.m. this Sunday, an 18-19 year old boy walked through the rubble, totally fine and on his own feet, without any single scratch on him, which was a real miracle. But on the other hand, it was pretty sad to note that a female was also recovered from the debris on who’s arm, a pillar had fallen. She was badly hurt and thus, her arm was amputated due to prolonged exposure within the rubble. Immediate surgery was applied to her at the hospital.” She said that the lady was unconscious. She explained that it was not easy to remove concrete surface and cement off the bodies. However, many were thought to be briefing as voices were coming from within the wreckage.
Dr.Altaf told at the main relief camp, told The Daily Mail, “Two survivors have been recovered here this (Monday) morning. 3 bodies were recovered on Sunday at 11:00p.m., 1:00a.m. and 3:00a.m., respectively, through an operation carrying merely search lights for direction.” Shaukat Ali, a paramedical attendant at PIMS, on the other hand, quoted figures saying, “30 bodies have so far been recovered from the debris, 10-12 of which were alive and 18-20 of them remained ones succumbed to the tragedy.”
Dr.Ikram-ul-Haq, with a frown on his face, talked haughtily, accusing the foreign rescuers of slowing down the entire process saying, “We were doing faster, attending each sound as soon as it reached us, till the foreign aid workers came in with their set of sensors detecting alive from dead and rescuing accordingly. About till how long the victims would survive, he set that it was sheer luck on their part as estimated time for survival of such victims is usually 48 hours which is already gone and thus time was running out. He said it was a matter of time till their air went out. Dr.Jaweria, on the other hand, said, “Around 4 dead bodies have been recovered today (Monday), since Sehri while around 5 alive individuals were recovered Sunday morning followed by 2 in the night at 11:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
Rapid-UK aid workers from England were found relaxing at their camps. Gillian Dacey of the clan, told The Daily Mail about her rescue experience saying, “We flew in here yesterday, i.e., this Sunday morning. 24 of us are from Rapid-UK while 4 of our helpers belong to Canis. We helped 3 survivors get out which was amazing.” When asked about hurdles in the rescue efforts, the lady stated cheerfully, “Well, it’s just too hot here. The survivors are not very visible either. However, it’s so good to see that people want to help others of their kind, in dire need at this time, trapped in debris down below.” The bubbly aid worker termed her visit so far as fantastic while hoping for more recoveries in the near future.
Worth mentioning names as in cops, that have been installed at the site ever since the tragedy has occurred and have been keeping a solid control over the area under cordon, explaining to the masses that they cannot get in, remain ASI Abdul Quyyum, ASI Chaudhry Muhammad Dil Pazeer, ASI Mateeh Ullah Khan, all of Rescue-15, working 24 hours daily, and Constable Ibrahim. Red Crescent Society and CDA too, remains constantly busy in rescue job at hand along aid workers from China, Turkey, Japan and UK. However, most tragic is the sight of the masses sitting around, who are not spectators rounding the area for some cheap thrill but sitting beside a corner, asking every privileged individual like that from the media, who’s allowed to visit the tragedy site, whether their near and dear ones have been recovered or not. It really touches the heart and soul to see them in this state!
With the Margalla Towers’ collapse, the Capital has witnessed a new face of man-made destruction. Masses have started voicing the fear of demarcation of other such buildings all through F-10 and Blue Area that are sky-rise and reportedly built with faulty construction material. Masses around the site are too bereaved to accuse anyone just yet of the obviously manmade disaster occurred at the area but the ones who have got their senses back, what CDA officials booked for the disaster, at the earliest!

Terrific experience for Rapid-UK
By U. Zee

ISLAMABAD—When asked yesterday by The Daily Mail, about the International aid workers’ experience so far, at Margalla Towers’ destruction site, they termed their experience so far as wonderful and terrific. The casually dozing individuals along their cheerful walking halves gave the basic view of apparent mountaineers, out on an adventure of their lifetime. The only hurdle in way of the operation, they said, was the heat!
Here the values of East and West differ Manifold. Where in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita hit areas, the masses had started collecting valuables off the dead bodies destroyed in the natural disaster and in fact, 6 cops were nabbed too, for involvement in such efforts, of course we do not expect the western aid workers to actually shed tears along the moaning families of the man-made disaster, i.e., the Margalla Towers’ victims.
On the other hand, local workers remain flooded off and around the site, waiting for a chance to help the ones in trouble, feeling for them with all their heart, expecting to see their loved ones pop any moment, from any corner! The Western rescuers are putting in efforts too, no doubt, but one that are for thrill, rather chill!