11 dead after a wall collapses near an under-construction bridge in Pakistan during monsoon rains

A man cries outside the mortuary after he lost his son by monsoon rains on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

ISLAMABAD — Eleven workers were killed early Wednesday after a portion of the outer wall of a sprawling compound collapsed after being weakened by rains near an under-construction bridge on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, police and rescue officials said.

The wall fell while the workers sat inside their roadside tents at the construction site.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a statement expressed his sorrow and grief over the deaths.

Local police official Mohammad Akram and Emergency Service Rescue 1122 said the collapse happened amid the monsoon rains near the neighbourhood of Golra and that the bodies of the deceased were recovered. At least five construction workers were also injured, senior police officer Khan Zeb said.

Officials said the rains hadn't caused any damage to the walls of the under-construction bridge and that the laborers were killed or injured when the wall of a nearby building collapsed, burying them under the rubble.

Monsoon rains have been lashing Pakistan since June 25, killing at least 112 people in weather-related incidents. The rains have also swelled Pakistan's rivers in eastern Punjab province, swamping hundreds of villages and displacing at least 15,000 people.

The rains returned to Pakistan a year after climate-induced downpours inundated at one point one-third of Pakistan, killing 1,739 people. The floods also caused $30 billion in damage in cash-strapped Pakistan in 2022.