Lahore police book property owners, construction worker after roof collapse kills 14 children

Police on Wednesday registered a criminal case against property owners and a construction worker following the collapse of a roof in Lahore's Kahna area that killed 14 children and injured eight others.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), available with The Express Tribune, the case was registered at Kahna Police Station on the complaint of Kashif Aslam, Enforcement Inspector, Nishtar Zone of the Lahore Metropolitan Corporation.

The FIR included Sections 322 and 337-H of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relate to causing death by negligence and causing hurt through a rash or negligent act.

Police named four suspects in the case: three brothers — Usman, Faizan and Rehan — who own the property, and Umair, a construction worker who was carrying out repairs to the building.

According to the FIR, Rehan’s wife, Aamila, was running a tuition centre from a room in the family’s house. She was injured in the collapse but has not been named as an accused.

The FIR stated that repair work was being carried out while children were attending classes inside the building. Construction material had allegedly been placed on the roof of the room being used as the tuition centre, even though the roof was already in a dilapidated condition.

The additional weight allegedly caused the roof to collapse.

According to the FIR, investigators collected evidence from the scene and concluded that negligence during the repair work appeared to have caused the collapse. Police said further investigations were underway to establish the criminal liability of those named in the case.

The incident occurred a day earlier in Basti Eid Gah near Qurban School on Ferozepur Road, where dozens of children were attending classes when the roof of a room inside a residential building caved in. Investigators allege the tuition centre remained operational while repair work was underway on the building, and that the weakened roof gave way after construction material was placed on top of it.

Read: 14 children dead as roof of Lahore tuition centre collapses

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also took notice of the incident, directing authorities to ensure the injured received the best possible medical treatment and to expedite rescue efforts.

She also ordered an inquiry into the collapse, sought a report on the incident, and directed officials to determine responsibility. On her instructions, Adviser to the Chief Minister Zeeshan Malik visited THQ Hospital Kahna to oversee the government's response.