Pakistan School roof collapse unaliving at least 32 children and one teacher

At least 32 children and a teacher were unalived and dozens of others injured on Thursday morning when the roof of a school building collapsed in northern Pakistan, local authorities reported.

According to Bilal Ahmed of local rescue services, heavy overnight rainfall caused the roof of a two-storey building at Al Khair Public School in Peshawar to become structurally unstable before it caved in.

Medical personnel at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, where casualties were transported, stated that the deceased children ranged in age from six to 14 years old. A 25-year-old teacher was also confirmed among the fatalities.

Rescue operations remain active as emergency crews work to clear debris and reach individuals still believed to be trapped in the rubble, Ahmed said. Hospital figures indicate that approximately 50 children sustained injuries in the collapse, with several remaining under close medical observation.

Eyewitnesses reported that local residents were among the first responders at the scene, swiftly followed by emergency rescue teams navigating narrow streets with ambulances.

Structural failures remain a persistent safety hazard across Pakistan, driven by poorly enforced construction standards and the frequent use of substandard building materials.

In response to the disaster, President Asif Ali Zardari issued a statement describing the event as a heartbreaking tragedy and demanded a thorough investigation. “In this hour of sorrow, the entire nation shares equally in the grief of the affected families,” the president’s office posted on X.

Local police official Muhammad Ali confirmed that the school’s owner has been taken into custody as authorities initiate a formal inquiry into the incident.

The disaster follows a series of recent safety crises in the country, including a hospital fire in Islamabad weeks prior that claimed the lives of 14 newborns due to a lack of proper fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and emergency protocols. Additionally, a similar roof collapse at an under-construction tutoring center in Lahore in July resulted in the deaths of 14 schoolchildren.