At least 28 people, including 27 students and a female teacher, were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan. Another 19 people were injured in the incident. The tragedy occurred on Thursday at the Al-Khair School in the Afridi Abad area of Peshawar.
Muhammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital, stated that the death toll from the accident has risen to 28, while 19 injured individuals are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir announced that the rescue operation has concluded. He stated that the debris has been cleared and no more injured children remain trapped underneath.
At the time of the incident, the students were inside their classrooms and became trapped beneath the rubble when the roof caved in. According to rescue workers, the collapse of the top-floor roof also caused the structures of the lower two floors to give way.
Dr. Mian Saeed Ahmed, the Capital City Police Officer of Peshawar, stated that the building had a weak structure. He noted that the roof collapsed due to the burden of additional construction on top of that weak framework.
Following the news of the accident, an emergency was declared at the hospital, with police and rescue workers participating in the operation. To ensure the injured were transported swiftly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Chief Zulfikar Hamid instructed traffic police to create a special route or 'green corridor' for ambulance movement.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed profound grief over the fatalities. He directed the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the incident and submit a detailed report, while also ordering that the highest standard of medical care be ensured for the injured children.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed 'grave concern' over the accident. Alongside providing medical treatment to the injured and assistance to affected families, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of strengthening school security measures to prevent such accidents in the future.
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed sorrow over the incident. He ordered a thorough investigation into the accident and directed that checks be conducted to ensure all educational institution buildings in the country are constructed in compliance with safety standards.
Building and roof collapses frequently occur in Pakistan due to substandard construction materials and a lack of safety measures. Last June, the roof collapse of a private tuition center in the Kahna area of Lahore resulted in the deaths of 14 children. Prior to that, the collapse of a classroom roof at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan left four children dead and 20 injured. Source: Dawn.
