Classroom turns into a death trap

35 schoolchildren, two female teachers killed in Peshawar school roof collapse • Owner arrested as investigation b

PESHAWAR:

At least 35 children and two female teachers were killed on Thursday when the roof of a school collapsed during morning classes in Peshawar's Dir Colony, police and rescue officials said.

As distraught parents and relatives gathered at the site to search for loved ones, rescue workers spent hours pulling children from the rubble of the privately run Al-Khair School System.

Most of the children killed were under 13 and from low-income families. More than 50 people were injured, including children who suffered injuries ranging from minor wounds to severe trauma, said Arif Khattak, regional director of the Rescue Department.

Rescue 1122 said its teams, ambulances and disaster response vehicles reached the site and launched relief operations. More than eight injured children were initially given first aid and taken to hospital, while the search for others continued. Rescue workers later transported more than 40 injured students and teachers to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).

A roof on an upper floor collapsed onto classrooms below, bringing down two storeys of the building, a rescue official said.

"The fatalities include 12 girl students and a female teacher," LRH spokesperson Mohammad Asim said.

Three children remained in critical condition with head injuries, while most of those taken to the hospital had been treated and discharged, he added.

The collapse occurred at 8:48am local time, and the rescue operation lasted four to five hours, Khattak said.

"It was a weak building structure," Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said. "Its roof was overloaded with construction on a weak structure, which caused the collapse."

Saeed said the school's owner, Khan Muhammad, had been arrested and an investigation launched.

Around 110 students were attending classes in three classrooms when the roof collapsed, according to police.

Distraught relatives accused the school administration of ignoring warnings about the building's condition and demanded accountability.

"Make an example of them, a lesson for all, so that no one dares open a school just to make money without providing facilities," said Mohammad Zaman, who lost two nephews in the collapse.

The school was located in a densely populated, low-income neighbourhood of Peshawar.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the tragedy and offered condolences to the victims' families, his office said.

Jawad Ahmad, whose son and daughter attended the school and survived, said he was devastated by the news.

"It felt as if someone had shot me in the chest when I learned that the school building had collapsed," he said.

According to the hospital's latest list, the victims included 12 female students and two female teachers, while the remaining fatalities were boys. The children were aged between six and 13.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi announced compensation of 1 million rupees for the family of each person killed and 200,000 rupees for each injured person.

Kundi said the investigation would be completed within four days and those responsible would be identified and punished, regardless of the department they belonged to. He said the inquiry would examine the responsibility of everyone involved, from the school owner to the relevant government departments.

A preliminary investigation report prepared by Rescue 1122 and the district administration pointed to alleged serious negligence by the school administration and failures to ensure the building's safety.

According to the report, the roof of the upper floor had deteriorated after rainfall, and students had alerted the school owner to its poor condition. Instead of carrying out proper repairs or ensuring the building was safe, the administration allegedly reinforced the roof temporarily and called students back to school. The roof subsequently collapsed, the report said.

The report, which has been sent to the provincial government, examines the causes of the collapse, the building's structure, the deteriorated roof and the alleged negligence of the school administration.

(With input from Agencies)