Peshawar: At least 29 children, most of them below the age of 13, and a teacher were killed and more than 40 people injured when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Thursday, police said.
The incident occurred in Dir Colony in the inner city area, Peshawar Capital City Police chief Mian Saeed said.
The owner of the three-storey school has been arrested, he said, adding that the roof was poorly constructed.
The owner was operating the institution as an education trust, Saeed said.
A total of 110 children were enrolled at the school and 30 students were present in classrooms on the upper floor when the roof collapsed, he said.
According to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim, 29 students, including six girls, and a lady teacher were killed in the incident.
Over 40 people, including 20 students, were also injured, he said.
An emergency was declared at the hospital to treat the injured, Asim said, adding that all the children killed in the incident were aged 13 or mostly younger.
The hospital administration said bodies of 28 children and the teacher were brought to the hospital, while two bodies were shifted to Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital in the provincial capital.
Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir said all people trapped beneath the debris have been rescued.
He also ordered a probe into the building collapse.
Provincial Education Secretary Inayatullah Waseem directed the managing director of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority to submit a report on the incident by Friday.
According to the city police chief, the building was located in narrow streets, which made rescue operations difficult.
He said the authorities will examine which building regulations had been violated and conduct a proper inquiry into the incident to determine responsibility for the negligence.
Rescue teams were clearing the debris and searching for children and school staff who might still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed directed the Peshawar Chief Traffic Officer to establish a green corridor to ensure the uninterrupted movement of ambulances.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief over the loss of life in the mishap and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed the authorities concerned that they be provided with the best possible medical treatment.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed grief over the roof collapse and directed the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the incident.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed deep grief over the deaths, saying he was deeply shocked by the tragic news.
Building and roof collapses are common in Pakistan and are often attributed to poor safety standards and the use of substandard construction materials.
In July, three girls, aged between 3 and 13, were killed after a portion of the outer wall of a government primary school in Sindh province collapsed and the rubble fell on them. The same month, a child died, and five other people were injured after the roof of an under-construction private school building collapsed in Lahore.
In June, 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore. The incident had come less than two months after four children were killed and 20 people injured after the roof of a classroom at a private school collapsed in Dera Ghazi Khan district.
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