At least 28 people, including 27 students and one female teacher, were killed on Thursday when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar’s Afridi Abad locality. The death toll rose from an initial count of 21 as rescue teams worked through the debris at Al-Khair School, where students were present in their classrooms when the incident occurred.
Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim confirmed that 19 people remained injured, while Rescue 1122 said its teams had pulled 47 children from the rubble and shifted them to hospitals. Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir later said the rescue operation had concluded, with all debris cleared and no further injured children found at the scene.
Officials said the roof of a higher floor collapsed first, bringing down the two storeys and trapping students beneath the rubble. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed said the building’s structure was weak and that excessive construction on the roof had contributed to the collapse.
Authorities have begun an investigation to determine the exact cause and assess whether safety and construction regulations were violated.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed profound grief over the loss of young lives and sought a detailed report from the relevant authorities. He directed officials to provide the injured with the best possible medical care and to identify the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
KP Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed ordered police and rescue agencies to use all available resources and instructed traffic police to establish a green corridor to ensure the uninterrupted movement of ambulances.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took serious notice of the incident and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths. He directed authorities to expedite relief efforts and provide all possible medical assistance to the injured.
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed shock and grief, calling for a comprehensive investigation and stronger enforcement of safety standards in educational institutions across the country.
The tragedy has once again highlighted concerns over weak building structures, unregulated construction, and inadequate safety oversight in schools. Similar roof collapses in recent months in Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Umerkot have raised urgent questions about construction quality and the protection of children in educational facilities.
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