A school morning in Peshawar turned into a tragedy on Thursday after the roof of a private school collapsed while students were attending classes, killing dozens of children and a teacher and leaving several others injured. Rescue teams rushed to the site in Dir Colony as parents gathered outside the building, desperately waiting for news of their children.
The school, identified as Al-Khair Education Center, was occupied when the structure gave way. Many of the children who died were under the age of 13. According to reports from Lady Reading Hospital and rescue officials, the death toll rose as emergency workers continued pulling students from beneath the rubble, with more children feared to be trapped.
Casualty figures changed as the rescue operation progressed. Initial reports from Lady Reading Hospital confirmed 21 deaths, including 20 students and a female teacher. Reuters later reported that at least 27 students and one teacher had been killed. Dozens of people were also reported injured, with some in critical condition.
What Happened at the School?
According to rescue officials, the roof of an upper floor collapsed onto the floor below, bringing down the structure above classrooms where students were being taught. The children were trapped under the debris, prompting an urgent rescue operation involving emergency personnel and local residents.
Rescue 1122 teams transported the injured to nearby hospitals, while workers continued clearing the rubble in search of survivors. District emergency officials said at least 45 children had been pulled from the debris, though it remained unclear how many might still be trapped.
Lady Reading Hospital declared an emergency to accommodate the casualties. Medical teams were treating injured children, while authorities worked to coordinate rescue efforts and ensure ambulances could reach the site without delay.
For parents, the wait was agonising. One father who rushed to the school after receiving a call from home said he feared his son had died because the child’s classroom was on the ground floor beneath the collapsed section. He later discovered that his son had left the classroom to get a drink of water shortly before the collapse.
The cause of the incident had not been established at the time of reporting. Authorities are expected to investigate what led to the collapse and whether the building met the required safety standards.
Government Expresses Grief, Calls for Investigation
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of grief from Pakistan’s political leadership, with officials calling for assistance for affected families and proper medical care for the injured.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took serious notice of the incident, according to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and expressed condolences to the families who lost their children. Dar said the protection and safety of children must remain a priority, adding that measures were needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed shock over the deaths and called for a comprehensive investigation into the collapse. He directed the relevant authorities to provide the injured with the best possible medical treatment and extend assistance to the affected families.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a detailed report on the incident and directed authorities to determine what caused the structure to collapse. Meanwhile, provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed ordered senior police officials to oversee rescue operations and instructed traffic police to establish a clear route for ambulances.
As rescue work continued, officials faced the immediate task of locating anyone still trapped and supporting families waiting for news of their loved ones.
Another Tragedy Raises Questions About Building Safety
The Peshawar incident has once again drawn attention to the risks posed by unsafe buildings in Pakistan, particularly structures used by children and other vulnerable groups. Roof and building collapses have occurred across the country, with previous incidents raising concerns about construction quality, maintenance and enforcement of safety regulations.
In June, 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area. Another classroom roof collapse in Dera Ghazi Khan killed four children and injured around 20 people less than two months earlier. In July, three girls also died when part of a government primary school’s outer wall collapsed near Umerkot.
These incidents underline the importance of investigating not only what caused each collapse but also whether buildings were inspected and maintained adequately. Establishing the facts in Peshawar will be crucial to determining whether the tragedy could have been prevented and what measures may be needed to protect students in other schools.
For now, rescue teams continue to deal with the immediate aftermath, while families mourn children who had gone to school expecting an ordinary day of lessons. The investigation into the collapse will need to establish how the building failed and whether anyone should be held accountable.
Sources: Tribune, Dawn, DW, Reuters
