At least 30 people, mostly young children, lost their lives on Thursday when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar’s Dir Colony. Most of the victims were below the age of 13. A female teacher also died in the tragedy.
Rescue officials explained that the roof of an upper floor gave way and crashed onto the floor below, trapping students inside their classrooms. Visuals from the scene showed ambulances racing to the spot while rescue teams pulled bloodied children from the rubble. Lady Reading Hospital later confirmed that the bodies of 28 children were brought there, while two more were taken to Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital. Six of the victims were girls. Around 20 children were also injured.
Peshawar’s deputy commissioner stated that everyone trapped under the debris had been rescued. Local resident Sher Ahmed blamed substandard construction materials for the disaster and demanded a full investigation. Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed confirmed that the school owner had been arrested. The owner had been running the institution as an education trust.
SSP Operations revealed that between 110 and 115 children were present when the weak roof, built with T-iron beams and wooden planks, failed to support their weight and collapsed. A police investigation officer also confirmed that substandard materials had been used in the building.
Provincial Education Secretary Inayatullah Waseem ordered the Private Schools Regulatory Authority to submit a detailed report by the next day. He expressed deep condolences to the families of the children and the teacher who died.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought an official report and directed authorities to provide the best medical care to the injured. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered prayers for the victims and instructed officials to speed up relief and rescue work. National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also expressed grief and called for immediate support to the affected families.
The tragic school roof collapse has once again raised serious questions about building safety standards in private educational institutions across the province.
