In brief
In the early hours of Thursday, a private school in Dir Colony, Peshawar, collapsed when its roof failed, trapping pupils and staff under rubble. Thirty‑three children and a teacher died, while dozens were seriously injured. Emergency teams struggled to reach the site because the building sat on a narrow street. Police arrested the school's owner and vowed to investigate building‑code violations. The governor ordered a province‑wide safety audit of schools to prevent future tragedies.
A private school in Dir Colony, north‑western Pakistan, was the scene of a devastating collapse early Thursday morning when the roof of an upper‑floor classroom gave way and collapsed onto the student‑filled lower floors. The fractured roof sent concrete, wiring and furniture tumbling into classrooms below, trapping and crushing dozens of pupils and the teacher inside.
Local hospitals reported that 33 children and a teacher lost their lives, and more than a dozen others suffered injuries, several in critical condition. Rescue workers and local residents rushed to the scene, but the building's narrow location made it difficult for ambulances to access the site.
Police chief Mian Saeed arrested the owner of Al‑Khair School and promised a thorough investigation into possible building‑code violations. An emergency official stated that the roof slabs were sub‑standard and overloaded, exceeding the weight the structure could support.
The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has ordered an audit of all school buildings in the province to identify risks and implement corrective measures. Families of the victims have condemned the school for ignoring safety concerns, demanding accountability.
This tragedy follows earlier incidents in Pakistan, including a private tuition centre collapse in Lahore that killed fourteen children and a neonatal unit fire in Islamabad that killed fourteen infants. Authorities are now under pressure to enforce stricter safety regulations across schools and hospitals nationwide.
