28 killed as school roof collapses in Pakistan`s Peshawar

At least 28 people, including 20 children, were killed on Thursday when the roof of a private school collapsed during classes in Peshawar, in north-western Pakistan, with several more children injured and fears that the death toll could rise as rescuers continue to comb the rubble.

The roof gave way in the morning at a private school near the Afridi Abad and Deeri Colony areas of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Local residents and Rescue 1122 personnel rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation. Spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said children and teachers had been pulled from the debris and taken to hospital, while heavy machinery was being used to clear the rubble as rescuers searched for those still missing. Meanwhile, Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim said emergency measures had been introduced to treat the casualties. The hospital initially received the bodies of 17 children and one teacher, although the number of fatalities subsequently rose, and at least 17 injured students were also admitted, some of whom were discharged after initial treatment. Moreover, the deputy commissioner’s office confirmed the collapse and directed the authorities to expedite rescue and relief efforts, while several injured children remained under treatment, some reportedly in critical condition.

The cause of the collapse has yet to be established. However, building accidents are common in Pakistan, where weak oversight, inadequate safety measures, breaches of construction standards and the use of substandard materials have been cited as contributing factors in similar incidents.

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Recent tragedies include the collapse of a coaching centre roof in Lahore’s Kahna area in June, which killed 14 children, and the collapse of a classroom roof at a school in Dera Ghazi Khan, which killed four children and injured 20. Consequently, these and other incidents involving school structures and residential buildings have heightened concerns about the country’s construction safety standards.