A roof collapse at a private school in Peshawar, Pakistan, killed at least 27 students and one teacher. Rescue operations concluded with all trapped individuals recovered, while authorities investigate structural failures.
A roof collapse at a private school in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan, has killed at least 27 students and one teacher. The incident occurred on Thursday morning during lessons, trapping several children under the rubble before rescue teams completed their operations.
Hospital officials confirmed the death toll, noting that all children killed or injured were age 13 or younger. According to BBC, emergency services were first alerted to the incident at 08:48 (03:48 GMT). A local rescue official told the BBC that the ceiling of a first-floor classroom had collapsed onto a ground-floor classroom below, causing it to cave in as well.
More than 40 other people were injured, with some in critical condition. District emergency officer Iftikhar Khan stated, "We have taken out at least 45 children," though initial reports suggested more might be trapped. By later hours, rescue officials confirmed that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews were clearing the debris.
The school, located in the Afridi Abad area, was a three-story building with an estimated 1,200 students enrolled in nursery through fifth grade. Mahwish Zaman, an injured teacher speaking from a hospital bed, told The Associated Press that she was in her classroom when the roof collapsed and felt as if the sky had fallen. She regained consciousness in the hospital.
Samiullah Khan, a resident who helped rescue three girls, said his son survived because he had stepped out of his classroom to drink water. Witnesses reported that residents were among the first to reach the school in the congested neighborhood, with rescue workers arriving within minutes.
Peshawar police chief Saeed Ahmed said that the school's owner had been arrested and that the building was structurally weak. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gov. Faisal Karim Kundi expressed sorrow over the collapse and sought a report from relevant authorities about the cause. The provincial government formed a committee to investigate the incident.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences. Zardari said, "The entire nation shares the grief of the affected families in this hour of sorrow," and called for a comprehensive investigation to ensure school buildings meet safety standards.
Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. DW reports that local media noted such incidents are becoming increasingly routine due to poor building standards and maintenance. In July alone, multiple incidents occurred: a roof collapse at a tutoring center in Lahore killed four schoolchildren, and a wall collapse at a government school near Umerkot killed three young girls. These events highlight ongoing concerns regarding infrastructure safety and regulatory enforcement in the region.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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