PESHAWAR: Rescue 1122 said at least 27 children and a teacher died when a private school roof collapsed in Dir Colony, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Thursday.
City police said rescue teams searched the debris and took injured children to hospitals. Narrow streets limited access and complicated the operation.
Peshawar’s city superintendent of police said preliminary information indicated that around 75 children had been present in three classrooms. Authorities were gathering records to establish the school’s total enrolment.
Residents were among the first to reach the building, witnesses said. Rescue workers arrived within minutes of receiving the alert.
Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim said some injured children were in critical condition. Hospital officials declared an emergency as medical teams treated those brought from the school.
Police arrested the school’s owner. Peshawar’s police chief described the building as structurally weak, while investigators examined the cause of the collapse.
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a detailed report and directed authorities to establish why the roof fell.
“The loss of precious lives of innocent children is an extremely painful tragedy,” Kundi said. He extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed officials to accelerate rescue and relief work at the site. He also directed the relevant authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.
Sharif expressed sorrow over the deaths and offered condolences to the affected families. He prayed for the recovery of those receiving treatment.
(With additional input from ARY News and The Associated Press)
