Daijiworld Media Network – Peshawar
Peshawar, Oct 15: At least 35 people, including 34 children and a teacher, were killed and 20 others injured after the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Thursday, police and hospital authorities said.
The incident occurred at Al-Khair School in Dir Colony, a densely populated neighbourhood of Peshawar. Capital City Police Officer Mian Saeed said around 30 students were attending classes on the upper floor when the roof gave way.
Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that 32 children and a teacher were brought dead to the hospital. Two more bodies were taken to Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital, taking the reported death toll to 35.
Twenty injured children were admitted to Lady Reading Hospital, most of whom were discharged after receiving first aid. Three children suffering from critical head injuries remained under treatment. All the victims were aged 13 or younger, Asim said.
An emergency was declared at Lady Reading Hospital following the incident. Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir said rescue teams had recovered all those trapped beneath the debris and ordered an inquiry into the collapse.
Police said the building's owner, who operated the institution under an education trust, had been arrested. Saeed described the three-storey structure as poorly constructed and said authorities would investigate possible violations of building regulations and determine responsibility for any negligence.
The school's location in narrow lanes made rescue operations difficult, the police chief said. Army personnel and other rescue agencies joined the operation to assist local teams in removing debris and transporting the injured to hospitals.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed directed officials to establish a green corridor to ensure the uninterrupted movement of ambulances and facilitate the swift transfer of victims for medical treatment.
Provincial Education Secretary Inayatullah Waseem also directed the managing director of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority to submit a detailed report on the incident by Friday.
The tragedy prompted expressions of grief from Pakistan's political leadership. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
Sharif also directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the injured received the best possible medical treatment.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed condolences over the deaths and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse, including the building's construction quality and compliance with safety regulations. The inquiry is expected to establish whether structural deficiencies or negligence contributed to the deaths.