In brief
In a tragic morning at Peshawar’s Al‑Khair private school, a roof collapse killed 33 pupils and a teacher, while dozens sustained injuries. Emergency crews raced to a narrow street location, rescuing children from rubble. Police have arrested the school owner amid investigations into building code violations. The governor ordered a province‑wide safety audit of schools.
A private school roof collapsed on Monday morning in the north‑western city of Peshawar, killing 33 pupils and a teacher and leaving more than a dozen injured, some severely. The Al‑Khair school in Dir Colony was hit when the roof of an upper‑floor classroom failed, sending debris through the lower levels and trapping students beneath.
Emergency services arrived at 08:48 local time, after a teacher at a nearby school and townsfolk rushed to the scene amid the sound of sirens. A local English teacher claimed he personally pulled six children from the rubble, only to find later that they had died. Reports describe a chaotic scene of blood, shattered windows and grieving families.
Police chief Mian Saeed announced the arrest of the school’s owner, saying a thorough investigation will examine possible building code violations. Officials say the structure, built on a temporary basis, had substandard roof slabs and was overloaded beyond its weight limit. The school’s narrow street location made rescue efforts difficult, hampering the transfer of the injured to hospitals.
Lady Reading Hospital and Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital reported 32 children and a teacher dead, with one additional child confirmed by the second hospital. In the aftermath, the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, has ordered a safety audit of all province schools to prevent future tragedies.
Family members of the victims have accused the school of ignoring safety warnings, demanding accountability. One grieving uncle said, "Make an example of them, a lesson for all."
The collapse follows earlier incidents in Pakistan, including a 2019 building failure that killed 14 children and a recent neonatal unit fire that claimed 14 newborns due to lack of smoke detection. These events have heightened demands for stricter enforcement of safety standards across the country.
Images provided by Reuters. A left WARNING: This article contains distressing details.
