The tragic incident at Lahore's popular recreational facility, Sozo Water Park, in which three girls, aged between eight and thirteen, and two of their teachers were killed and 47 other children were injured, is a case of criminal negligence that must not go unpunished. According to press reports, the accident happened last Saturday when three parties of school children, accompanied by their teachers, had gone to the park for a picnic.
As they were taking a ride on a merry-go-round; its axle suddenly broke down, bringing all the joyriders crashing down. Five of them died on the spot while several others are said to have received serious injuries.
Shocked and grieving families of the victims are demanding strict action against the park management, which happens to be an influential family. Some reports say that it is using its connections to hush up the matter.
It is obvious that adherence the prescribed maintenance and safety standards at the park has not been a priority with the owners even though it has been drawing huge crowds and hence huge profits ever since it was established nearly two decades ago.
In fact, disregard for safety standards is common in this society. It is an attitude rather than an aberration. And yet when such a tragedy strikes every now and then we act horrified, only to go back to our lax ways once the sense of horror passes.
It is hard to imagine an incident like this taking place in one of the advanced countries; and if it did take place it would be even harder to imagine that those responsible for it could escape punishment.
Since the incident happened in the provincial metropolis, it received the media and government attention it deserved. The Punjab Law Minister, Raja Basharat, ordered immediate arrest of the culprits. He also directed the concerned officials to seal all the outdated mechanical and electrical rides everywhere in the province.
The police registered a case against the owners and administration of the park for murder under section 302, attempted murder under section 324, and criminal negligence under section 109. But so far they have been able to arrest only one person; and unsurprisingly this one person is an ordinary worker at the park. All the others named in the FIR remain at large.
The park's owners indirectly accepted the responsibility for the incident by announcing a Rs 400,000 compensation for each of the victims. Though no amount of monetary compensation can make up for the loss of a human life, perhaps, such a gesture has some value when it comes from the government in the event of natural or man-made disasters.
It would appear to be a hypocritical act of humanity when individuals responsible for a tragedy distribute money for the irreparable loss of human life caused by their negligence.
The law must take its course and bring the guilty to justice no matter how powerful they may be. That is important as per the demands of justice and also because if the culprits in the present case are brought to justice that will also serve as a lesson for others in the field not to take chances with human life.
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