PESHAWAR(National Times)- At least 31 people, including 30 students and a female teacher, were killed when a school roof collapsed in the provincial capital\u2019s Afridi Abad area on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim initially told Dawn that the death toll had risen to 33, including a female teachers and students aged between seven and 14 and a female teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, he said that 30 students students and a female teacher had been killed. According to the official list of casualties shared by LRH, a total of 61 people were brought to the facility, of which 30 were discharged after being treated.Residents gather during a search operation after a roof collapsed at a school in Peshawar on October 15. \u2014AFP<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spokesman for Rewscue 1122 said schoolchildren were crushed and trapped after the roof gave way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen the Rescue 1122 emergency response teams arrived at the scene, they found that one roof had collapsed onto another, causing the classroom below to be crushed and trapping children inside,\u201d spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to Geo News, Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir confirmed that the rescue operation launched after the collapse had concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRescue teams have cleared all the debris, and no more injured children are at the scene,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the incident, an emergency was declared at the hospital, said the LRH spokesperson in an earlier statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Peshawar DC earlier told Dawn that the roof of Al-Khair School had collapsed, trapping students beneath the debris. According to a statement issued by his office, students were present in their classrooms when the incident occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A rescue official told AFP that the ceiling came down on the students after the roof of a higher floor collapsed, crumpling the two storeys. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed said the building\u2019s structure was weak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIts roof was overweight with construction on a weak structure that caused the collapse,\u201d AFP quoted him as saying.A girl who was injured after a school roof collapse receives first aid at a hospital in Peshawar October 15, 2026. \u2014AFP<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to Dawn, Samiullah, a parent who rushed to the site after hearing about the incident, said he had rescued three girls, all under the age of eight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI received a call from home at around 8:50am and reached the site about 10 minutes later, at around 9am. We have six children studying at the school,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I saw the building, I thought my son, who was in a ground-floor classroom beneath the collapsed first floor, had also died. However, he had left the classroom to drink water,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resident Sohail told AFP \u201ceveryone began screaming in panic\u201d after his niece managed to find her way home after escaping the building to inform them of the collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I arrived at the scene, I saw around 10 to 15 children trapped beneath the rubble, with debris piled up to their necks. We quickly pulled them out,\u201d he said.Volunteers and relatives shift the body of a victim, killed after a roof collapsed at a school, into an ambulance outside a hospital in Peshawar on October 15, 2026. \u2014AFP<\/p>\n\n\n\n
KP governor orders audit<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed grief over the deaths in the school roof collapse and sought a detailed report on the incident. He also directed the authorities to determine the cause of the collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe loss of precious lives of innocent children is an extremely painful tragedy,\u201d he said, according to a statement, extending his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured children and directed the authorities concerned to provide them with the best possible medical facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another statement on his X account, the KP governor added that he had also directed a structural safety audit of educational institutions across the province to \u201cidentify potential risks and ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever necessary\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe cannot allow the safety of our children to be compromised,\u201d Kundi wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, Kundi also attended the funeral prayers of the dead. Speaking to the media, he said that a team had been constituted to probe the incident and the inquiry was underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe first step will be to determine who issued the no-objection certificate to the school,\u201d he said. Kundi also announced that the bereaved families would be given Rs1m as compensation while the injured would be given Rs200,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA transparent investigation into the incident will be conducted and those responsible will be identified,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the Elementary and Secondary Education Department constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the incident and tasked it with submitting a report on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The committee included: Javid Iqbal, the chairman of the Private Schools Regularity Authority; Muhammad Farooq, the deputy secretary of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department; and a member to be co-opted by a committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The committee was tasked with probing the incident and ascertaining the facts that led to the roof collapse, unearthing the factors that led to it, suggesting measures to prevent such incidents in the future and making appropriate recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Separately, KP Inspector General (IG) Zulfiqar Hameed ordered Peshawar CCPO to oversee the rescue operation and directed the traffic police to establish a \u201cgreen corridor\u201d to ensure uninterrupted movement of ambulances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rescue and police teams were directed to utilise all available resources, a statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn this hour of grief, KP police stands with the affected families,\u201d the IGP was quoted as saying.Residents and rescue workers gather near an ambulance after a school roof collapse in Peshawar Pakistan on October 15.\u2014Reuters<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PM Shehbaz takes \u2018serious notice\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken \u201cserious notice\u201d of the incident, as he offered his condolences to the bereaved families in a post on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur children are our most precious asset, and every such loss is a tragedy for the entire country,\u201d DPM Dar said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that \u201censuring the safety and protection of our children must remain paramount\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll necessary measures must be taken to provide immediate assistance to those affected, ensure the best possible medical care for the injured, and strengthen safety standards in our schools to prevent such tragedies from recurring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PM Shehbaz also phone the KP governor according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister\u2019s Office (PMO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prime minister offered condolences to the families of the deceased and directed authorities to provide the best possible medical facilities to the injured and all possible assistance to the affected families, the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prime minister also sought a comprehensive report on the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The governor briefed the prime minister on the incident and informed him that the school owner had been arrested and an investigation into the incident had been launched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prime minister directed that all aspects of the incident be examined and action be taken against those responsible in accordance with the law, the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Condolences<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed \u201cprofound shock and grief\u201d over the tragic school incident in a statement on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis heart-wrenching tragedy has plunged the entire nation into shock,\u201d he said, extending his condolences to the families of the children killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He directed relevant authorities to provide top-notch medical facilities to the injured and extend assistance to the affected families. \u201cIn this hour of sorrow, the entire nation shares equally in the grief of the affected families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Zardari emphasised the need for a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the incident and to ensure that all educational institutions\u2019 buildings were following safety standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PM Shehbaz expressed \u201cdeep grief and sorrow\u201d over the incident, in a statement shared by his office. He extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, directing that \u201call possible medical assistance\u201d be provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PM Shehbaz has also issued instructions to expedite relief operations, the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a post on X, he said: \u201cMy heart is with the families grieving the loss of their children and a teacher in the tragic roof collapse at a school in Peshawar. No parent should have to endure such pain. I extend my deepest condolences and pray for strength for every family affected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that he had directed that the injured receive the best possible care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will ensure a thorough investigation into this tragedy and take every necessary step to protect the safety of children in schools across the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also expressed grief over the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a post on X, he said he was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by the tragedy, adding that the thought of parents sending their children to school in the morning only to receive news of their deaths was heartbreaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bilawal\u2019s sister, MNA Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, also extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said schools must be places of learning and protection, adding that those responsible for ensuring children\u2019s safety must be held accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unicef also expressed its deep sadness over the incident. Unicef representative in Pakistan, Pernille Ironside, said in a statement: \u201cUnicef extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and communities affected by this devastating incident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur thoughts are also with the injured children; we wish them a swift and full recovery. Unicef stands ready to support the government\u2019s response by providing psycho-social support to affected children, families and communities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unicef called for urgent action to ensure that all schools, public and private, meet building safety standards and undergo regular safety inspections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese standards must be strictly enforced to prevent such tragedies in future,\u201d Ironside said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery child has the right to learn in a safe environment, where children can learn, grow and thrive, protected from harm. Going to school should never put a child\u2019s life at risk,\u201d she said.People stand near rubble after a school roof collapse in Peshawar, October 15, 2026. \u2014Reuters<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roof collapse incidents<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building and roof collapses are common in Pakistan, often attributed to poor safety standards and the use of substandard construction materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In July, three girls, aged 3 to 13, were killed after a portion of the outer wall of a government primary school near Umerkot collapsed and the rubble fell on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same month, a child died, and at least five other people were injured after the roof of an under-construction private school building collapsed in Lahore\u2019s Baghbanpura neighbourhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On June 30, 14 children lost their lives when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore\u2019s Kahna area. 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 in Dera Ghazi Khan collapsed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A probe into the DG Khan incident revealed that construction for an extension of the tuition centre\u2019s building was under way when the roof of the classroom collapsed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, two men died in Pakpattan after the roof of their house collapsed during heavy rain and a windstorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June, a labourer was killed, and three others were injured when the roof of an under-construction building collapsed in Khawaspur locality of Lalamusa, Gujrat. The same month, two people were injured after the roof of a house collapsed in Lahore\u2019s Nishtar area. In August, a couple was killed, and their daughters were injured after the roof of their house in Shahzad Town, Islamabad, collapsed following three days of heavy rainfall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR(National Times)- At least 31 people, including 30 students and a female teacher, were killed when a school roof collapsed in the provincial capital\u2019s Afridi Abad area on Thursday. Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim initially told Dawn that the death toll had risen to 33, including a female teachers and students aged between […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n