At least 28 people, including 27 students and a female teacher, died when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar on Thursday, according to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim. Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed said the school’s owner has been arrested. Officials have not yet stated what caused the collapse.
The toll rose from four to 28 within hours
Rescue 1122 first reported four deaths and 20 injured, citing LRH. Later counts of 17, then 21, followed as rescuers recovered more victims, before the hospital gave the figure of 28. All the students killed were 13 or younger, and the hospital said 19 people remained injured. The police chief put the number of injured at over 40. The figures differ by source and may change as the rescue continues.
Three floors gave way, one after another
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed’s office said the rear portion of the three-storey Al-Khair School and Madrassa collapsed in Dir Colony. The roofs were built of mud, girders and debris, and the failure of one roof brought down the one below it, and then the one below that. Over 75 children, around age 13, were on all three floors.
Narrow streets around the school made it hard for rescue teams to reach the site. Army personnel joined Rescue 1122 in clearing the debris. The provincial police chief told Peshawar police leadership to supervise the operation and to keep a clear route for ambulances.
Owner arrested, report due by October 16
The Provincial Education Secretary, Inayatullah Waseem, directed the managing director of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority to submit a report by Friday, October 16. Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir has ordered a probe into the building collapse. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a detailed report and told authorities to establish the cause. President Asif Ali Zardari called for a comprehensive investigation and said school buildings must meet safety standards. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and told authorities to speed up relief and rescue work and to give the injured all possible medical help.
Building and roof collapses are common in Pakistan and are often attributed to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials. The inquiries ordered on Thursday are expected to say whether that was the case in Dir Colony.
