28 children killed, over 40 injured as school roof collapses in Pakistan

The collapse occurred in Dir Colony, a congested neighbourhood in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Police arrested the school's owner, and Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir ordered a probe.

In Short

• Rescue teams continue to search for trapped children and staff
• Police arrest school owner, authorities order official probe into deaths
• PM Shehbaz Sharif and KP Governor express grief over incident

At least 29 people, including 28 children and a female teacher, were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan’s Peshawar on Thursday, officials said.

More than 40 people were injured, while rescuers searched the rubble for children and staff feared trapped.

The collapse occurred in Dir Colony, a congested neighbourhood in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Police arrested the school’s owner, and Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir ordered a probe.

All 28 children killed were aged 13 or younger, Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim said. Six were girls.

The hospital declared an emergency to treat the injured, some of whom were in critical condition. Parents gathered outside the school and hospital, seeking information about their children.

Police said the school building was structurally weak. The cause of the collapse was under investigation.

Emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said several children remained trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue teams were clearing debris to reach them.

Residents were among the first to reach the school, witnesses said. One resident, Mohammad Khan, said rescuers were carefully removing rubble to reach children and staff.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences to the families. He directed authorities to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed grief over the collapse.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced and substandard materials are used.

- Ends
(With inputs from agencies)