At least 21 people, including a female teacher and 20 pupils, have been killed after the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, north-western Pakistan. The victims included children aged between seven and 12, while five injured people are reported to be in critical condition.
The incident occurred on Thursday, 15 October, at Al Khair School in the Afridi Abad area of Peshawar. Classes were under way when the roof suddenly gave way, trapping pupils and teachers beneath the rubble.
Rescue teams and local authorities launched an operation shortly after the collapse. Emergency workers began searching through the debris for those trapped inside the building, while the injured were taken to hospital for treatment.
A spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar confirmed the deaths of 20 pupils to local media. Among them were 18 boys and two girls. A female teacher was also reported to have died in the incident.
The hospital spokesperson said five of the injured were in critical condition. An emergency was declared at the hospital following the collapse to facilitate the treatment of those brought in from the scene.
Earlier, the hospital spokesperson had reported that 17 pupils had been brought to the hospital dead. All were aged 13 or younger. A further 17 injured pupils were also taken to the hospital for medical care. Subsequent reports put the death toll at 21, including the teacher.
Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir confirmed that the roof of Al Khair School had collapsed. A statement from the deputy commissioner’s office said rescue operations had been continuing since the incident.
Authorities were working to determine whether anyone else remained trapped beneath the debris. However, the precise cause of the collapse was not immediately known.
Faisal Karim, governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, expressed grief over the deaths and directed the relevant authorities to investigate the incident.
In a statement, the governor described the loss of the children’s lives as an extremely painful tragedy and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The incident has raised urgent questions about the condition and safety of the school building. Investigators will need to establish whether structural weaknesses, construction defects or inadequate maintenance contributed to the collapse. No official findings on the cause had been announced at the time of reporting.
The immediate priority remained the rescue operation and medical treatment of the injured. A full investigation is expected to help establish the circumstances surrounding the disaster and determine whether any safety failures contributed to the loss of life.
