Lives saved from beneath Kashmir tower block following collapse: case study

Monday, October 8, 2005. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Between 75,000 and 100,000 lives were lost, 128,000 were injured and 3.5 million had their homes destroyed. 

In the middle of this widespread damage, a single, terrible building collapse in Islamabad caught the world’s attention. The 12-story Margalla Towers, home to forty families, mostly UN workers, had flattened into a pile of concrete and steel. Most people inside were trapped deep beneath the debris.

The Margalla Towers in Islamabad immediately after the 2005 earthquake hit.

Serve On, then known as Rapid UK, quickly began work to respond to the disaster. 

Within 24 hours, Serve On deployed as the first international team on site. The British Embassy, Pakistani Army, and the Police met us at the airport. Two members of our assessment team went straight to Margalla Towers. The scene was messy with the Army and locals trying hard to rescue survivors.

The assessment confirmed the worst. A total 'pancake' collapse had flattened made the 12-story building, covering an area the size of a football field.

Our 20-person team started work right away. A surface search began, carefully looking through the top layers of the collapsed structure. Hope appeared as three survivors were found: a 14-year-old boy with a serious leg injury, a lady who needed immediate leg surgery, and a third person. Over one hundred people had been rescued from the top layers at first. Many more stayed buried in deeper, hard-to-reach spaces.

This is when Serve On’s specialist skills and tools came in. Our teams took control of the site, using advanced equipment: the Vibraphone for finding the smallest sounds and shakes; Snake Eye Cameras for important visual checks; and sensitive carbon dioxide monitors to find anyone still breathing in the rubble. With this careful method, we found May Amir, a 33-year-old mother with serious injuries, and her two-year-old son, Abbas, who had only minor injuries. The outpour of relief and joy bringing little Abbas out of that tomb was felt by all.

The emotional moment of rescuers carrying 2-year-old Abbas out of the collapsed building. 

The effort to save lives went on. On day 4, our equipment found another void. Deep inside the debris, we found 56-year-old Khalid Begum and her weak mother, Ma Bibi, who was severely hurt and coughing up blood. 

Time was short. Our team began cutting a small crawl tunnel towards them. For ten hours, our dedicated rescuers cut their way through, only stopping to escape continuous dangerous aftershocks. Then a large beam, which seemed too big to move or cut through, blocked their way.

But Serve On teams do not give up. We quickly changed our plan, seeking an alternative approach. The only path became clear: through the neighbouring building’s car park, then a hard cut through 20 meters of solid concrete. Our team took turns, pushing past tiredness to get through the barrier. Finally, they reached the two women. Our medical team gave immediate critical care before they went to the hospital. Each life saved was a victory won against tremendous difficulties.

The Margalla Towers tragedy claimed 78 lives. Over 100 people suffered serious injuries. While 100 people were rescued from the top layers at first, Serve On’s specialist work saved an additional seven lives from deeper inside the collapsed structure. Seven families were reunited because Serve On was there.

Your support directly helps Serve On be there right away with skill and self-sufficiency. It helps us train our volunteers, acquire advanced equipment and act quickly to save lives like those of Abbas, his mother and the Begum family. Head to our donate page to find our more.