PESHAWAR: At least 22 people, including 21 students and a female teacher, were killed and more than 40 others injured when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar’s Dir Colony on Thursday.
The incident occurred at Al-Khair School System on College Road, trapping students and staff under the rubble. All the deceased children were aged 13 or younger, according to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim. The hospital declared an emergency to deal with the casualties.
Rescue 1122 teams reached the site with ambulances and disaster response vehicles. More than 40 injured students and teachers were shifted to LRH after receiving initial first aid. The casualty figures rose as rescue workers recovered more victims from the debris. Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed also put the number of injured at more than 40.
Rescue teams continued their operation at the site, as fears remained that more people could be trapped under the rubble.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Adviser on Information Samar Haroon Bilour expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed the authorities to ensure timely medical treatment for the injured. She praised Rescue 1122 for its response and called for speeding up efforts to recover anyone still trapped beneath the debris.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed deep sorrow over the incident, offered condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the recovery of the injured. He directed the authorities to provide all possible medical assistance to those affected.
Building collapses remain a recurring safety concern in Pakistan, where weak construction practices, poor maintenance and substandard building materials have contributed to deadly incidents. The cause of the school roof collapse was not specified in the initial reports.
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