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A school roof collapsed during classes in Peshawar, killing 34 children and a teacher and injuring more than 50 people, prompting authorities to order safety inspections of private schools.
Mariyam Adheela
Rescue workers search the rubble after a roof collapse at Al-Khair Education Centre in Peshawar, Pakistan, killed dozens and injured more than 50 people -- Photo: Al khair Foundation
Peshawar — At least 35 people, including 34 children and a female teacher, have died after the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, on Thursday.
The collapse occurred at Al-Khair Education Centre in Dir Colony while children were attending classes. More than 50 people were injured, according to local authorities and hospital officials.
Most of the children affected were between six and 12 years old. Emergency services and local residents joined rescue efforts, searching through the rubble for children trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
Rescue officials said nearly 100 rescuers took part in the operation. Everyone reported trapped beneath the debris was eventually recovered, while several injured children required hospital treatment.
Peshawar police said the school building was structurally weak and confirmed that the school’s owner had been arrested.
The owner reportedly blamed recent rainfall for weakening the roof. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse and whether inadequate construction or failures to comply with building safety requirements contributed to the tragedy.
In response to the disaster, authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ordered immediate inspections of private school buildings. Officials said local committees would assess the safety of school facilities to identify structures that could pose risks to students and staff.
The tragedy has renewed concerns over building standards and safety enforcement in Pakistan, where poorly constructed buildings have contributed to deadly collapses.
In June, another school-related roof collapse in Lahore killed children, highlighting ongoing concerns about the safety of educational facilities.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to the bereaved families and called for action to prevent similar incidents.
