Two people died and six others were injured in the Shangla staircase collapse, after a staircase gave way during an anti-encroachment drive in Aloch Bazaar on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Puran tehsil of Shangla, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Rescue 1122 said the victims fell into a stream when the staircase collapsed while the district administration was demolishing a building.
The dead were identified as Irshad, 50, and a child, Abbas. Residents said Abbas was the only brother of four sisters.
Shangla staircase collapse: who was hurt
The injured included five children and one adult. They were Samiullah, 12, Aurangzeb, 14, Anas, 14, Baseer, 15, and Mohammad Zakariya, 8. Murad Khan, 34, was also injured.
Rescue workers gave first aid at the scene and moved the injured to hospital. The Dawn report did not give an update on their condition at the time of publication.
Several children were standing on the staircase when it collapsed, according to Rescue 1122. The children fell into the stream below, along with other people on the stairs.
The district administration has been running an anti-encroachment campaign in different parts of Shangla. The drive has met resistance from members of the public in some areas. That tension forms the background to Tuesday’s incident, though the report does not say the resistance caused the collapse.
Safety questions the inquiry must answer
The deaths have raised a direct question about safety during demolition work in crowded areas. When a building is being pulled down, people nearby need a clear exclusion zone. Children, in particular, need to be kept well away from stairs, walls and debris.
The inquiry will need to establish several facts. It must find out who was in charge of safety at the site, whether the area around the building was cleared, and why children were on the staircase during the operation.
It must also establish the condition of the staircase itself. A staircase on a building marked for demolition may already be weak. If that risk was known, the question is what steps were taken to keep people off it.
Shangla Deputy Commissioner Hamid Ali has ordered an inquiry into the incident. He appointed the additional deputy commissioner (general) and the assistant commissioner of Martung as inquiry officers. They must submit their report within 24 hours.
The order states that the inquiry will ascertain the circumstances of the incident and determine the facts. The administration’s response to the incident, beyond the inquiry order, was not immediately available.
Why this case matters beyond Shangla
Anti-encroachment drives take place across Pakistan, often in busy bazaars where shops, homes and public paths sit close together. The Shangla case shows how quickly such an operation can turn fatal when crowds gather near a demolition site.
For local administrations, the lesson is practical. A demolition plan needs a safety plan first. That plan should cover crowd control, a cleared perimeter and a ban on bystanders using parts of a building that are about to come down.
For families, the case is a painful reminder to keep children away from demolition sites, even when the work looks routine. A staircase that looks solid can fail without warning once demolition work begins nearby.
The next step to watch is the inquiry report. It is due within a day of the order. Its findings will show whether safety lapses played a part, and whether any official action follows.
Feature Pakistan earlier reported on K-P governor’s rule ending in six months, on arrest warrants issued by a Peshawar anti-terrorism court and on Peshawar’s Safe City drone surveillance system.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Shangla staircase collapse happen?
The collapse happened in Aloch Bazaar, in Puran tehsil of Shangla district, during an anti-encroachment operation.
Who died in the incident?
Irshad, 50, and a child, Abbas, died after falling into a stream when the staircase collapsed.
How many people were injured?
Six people were injured, including five children aged between eight and 15 and one adult aged 34.
What inquiry has been ordered?
Shangla Deputy Commissioner Hamid Ali ordered an inquiry, with a report due within 24 hours from two inquiry officers.
