At least 34 pupils and a teacher were killed in Pakistan when the roof of a school collapsed during classes in the north-western city of Peshawar on Thursday, authorities said.
Most of the students killed were under 13 years old, said Arif Khattak, regional director of the Rescue Department. At least 45 people suffered major and minor injuries, he added.
Rescue workers spent hours pulling children trapped beneath the rubble of the privately run Al Khair Education Centre, while panicked parents and relatives gathered outside the building seeking news of their loved ones.
The incident took place at 8.48am local time, and the rescue operation lasted four to five hours, Mr Khattak said.
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Rescue workers search for survivors after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing many children. Reuters -
Rescue teams at the scene at Al Khair Education Centre. Reuters -
The death toll was expected to rise as rescuers continued to search for children trapped under the rubble. Reuters -
Around 110 pupils, most under the age of 13, were inside the classrooms when the roof collapsed, said a police spokesman. AFP -
Soldiers joined the rescue operation after two floors of the building collapsed. Reuters -
An ambulance at the school. The collapse took place in the middle of the school day. AFP
Victims of the collapse were taken to the city’s Lady Reading Hospital, according to hospital spokesman Mohammad Asim.
“The fatalities include 12 girl students and a female teacher,” Mr Asim said.
Three children remained in critical condition, with head injuries, he said. Most of the injured brought to that hospital had been treated and sent home.
A rescue official said the roof of an upper floor had collapsed on to the classrooms below, causing both storeys to cave in.
Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said excessive weight from construction on the school roof had caused the collapse.
“It was a weak building structure,” he said. “Its roof was overloaded with construction on a weak structure, which caused the collapse.”
Mr Saeed said the school's owner had been arrested and authorities had opened an investigation.
A total of 110 students were attending lessons in three classrooms when the roof caved in.
Distraught relatives accused the school of ignoring safety concerns about the building's condition and demanded accountability.
“Make an example of them, a lesson for all, so that no one dares open a school just to make money without providing facilities,” said Mohammad Zaman, who lost two nephews in the collapse.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised “a thorough investigation” into the incident.
“My heart is with the families grieving the loss of their children and a teacher in the tragic roof collapse at a school in Peshawar. No parent should have to endure such pain,” he wrote in a statement on X.
“I extend my deepest condolences and pray for strength for every family affected. I have directed that the injured receive the best possible care. We will ensure a thorough investigation into this tragedy and take every necessary step to protect the safety of children in schools across the country,” he added.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari said the incident was a “heart-wrenching tragedy” and called for a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the deadly collapse.
“In this hour of sorrow, the entire nation shares equally in the grief of the affected families,” the President’s office posted on X.
