A school roof collapse in Peshawar on Thursday killed at least 33 people, including 32 students and a female teacher, in one of the deadliest building collapses Pakistan has seen this year.
The roof of Al-Khair School in the city's Afridi Abad locality gave way while students were in their classrooms, crumpling the two-storey structure and trapping dozens beneath the debris, officials said. Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim told Dawn that the death toll had risen to 33 from an earlier figure of 28, with the students aged between seven and 14. Twenty injured children were brought to the hospital; most have since been discharged, though three with serious head injuries remained under treatment.
Rescue operation concluded
Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir confirmed to Geo News that the rescue operation had concluded. "Rescue teams have cleared all the debris, and no more injured children are at the scene," he said.
Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed told AFP that the building's structure was weak. "Its roof was overweight with construction on a weak structure that caused the collapse," he said. A rescue official told AFP that the ceiling came down on the students after the roof of a higher floor collapsed, crushing the classroom below.
Government response and investigation
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a detailed report on the incident and directed a structural safety audit of educational institutions across the province "to identify potential risks and ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever necessary". The province's Elementary and Secondary Education Department set up a fact-finding committee tasked with reporting the same day.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took "serious notice" of the incident, phoned the KP governor, and directed that action be taken against those responsible in accordance with the law. The governor briefed him that the school's owner had been arrested and an investigation launched. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed "profound shock and grief" and called for a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause.
Building and roof collapses are a recurring problem in Pakistan, often attributed to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials. On June 30, 14 children died when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore's Kahna area.
Sources:
Dawn: Teacher, 32 students killed in Peshawar school roof collapse
CNN: Pakistan school roof collapse kills at least 32 children and one teacher
The roof of Al-Khair School in the city's Afridi Abad locality gave way while students were in their classrooms, crumpling the two-storey structure and trapping dozens beneath the debris, officials said. Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim told Dawn that the death toll had risen to 33 from an earlier figure of 28, with the students aged between seven and 14. Twenty injured children were brought to the hospital; most have since been discharged, though three with serious head injuries remained under treatment.
Rescue operation concluded
Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir confirmed to Geo News that the rescue operation had concluded. "Rescue teams have cleared all the debris, and no more injured children are at the scene," he said.
Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed told AFP that the building's structure was weak. "Its roof was overweight with construction on a weak structure that caused the collapse," he said. A rescue official told AFP that the ceiling came down on the students after the roof of a higher floor collapsed, crushing the classroom below.
Government response and investigation
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a detailed report on the incident and directed a structural safety audit of educational institutions across the province "to identify potential risks and ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever necessary". The province's Elementary and Secondary Education Department set up a fact-finding committee tasked with reporting the same day.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took "serious notice" of the incident, phoned the KP governor, and directed that action be taken against those responsible in accordance with the law. The governor briefed him that the school's owner had been arrested and an investigation launched. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed "profound shock and grief" and called for a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause.
Building and roof collapses are a recurring problem in Pakistan, often attributed to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials. On June 30, 14 children died when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore's Kahna area.
Sources:
Dawn: Teacher, 32 students killed in Peshawar school roof collapse
CNN: Pakistan school roof collapse kills at least 32 children and one teacher
