Peshawar school roof collapse: Case registered against owners, contractor
Funeral prayers were offered for the children killed in the Peshawar school roof collapse. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Police on Friday registered a case against the owners, shareholders, and contractor of the private school in Peshawar’s Dir Colony, where the roofs collapsed, killing 30 children and a female teacher and injuring 52 people, according to the first information report (FIR).
The roof of the three-storey Al-Khair school building in Peshawar’s Dir Colony collapsed during morning classes on Thursday, burying students and teachers beneath the rubble. Rescue teams worked for several hours to recover victims, while the building’s location in a densely populated neighbourhood with narrow streets hampered access to the site.
Police said the school had about 110 enrolled students and that the building’s weak structure and poorly constructed roof were among the factors being investigated. The school owner, Khan Muhammad, was taken into custody.
The case was registered at Agha Mir Jani Shah police station under Section 322, relating to qatl-bis-sabab (death caused without direct intent), and Sections 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code, police said, adding that efforts were underway to arrest the nominated suspects.
According to the FIR, substandard construction materials were used in the school building, which was in a dilapidated and unsuitable condition. It also stated that complaints had previously been made about the deteriorating condition of the building’s walls and roofs, but the school owners allegedly failed to address concerns raised by children.
The roofs of the nursery classroom on the second floor and rooms on the ground floor collapsed, the FIR stated.
The school land, measuring 16 marlas, is owned by Waheed and Javed. The land was acquired on lease in 2024, after which the school building was constructed.
Read: What tragedies reveal
Following Thursday’s collapse in Peshawar, the provincial government ordered a fact-finding inquiry and directed a structural safety audit of educational institutions across K-P. The Elementary and Secondary Education Department also recommended a province-wide survey of government school buildings to assess their structural condition and classify them according to safety risks.
The incident has renewed concerns over the structural safety of educational buildings in Pakistan, where similar collapses have killed and injured students in recent years.
On June 30, 2026, 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area. A teacher and eight other children were also injured. Police said the centre was housed in an ageing building, while the roof of an unfinished second floor reportedly gave way amid concerns over poor construction.
In May, at least four children were killed and 20 people injured when a classroom roof collapsed at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, while construction work was under way to extend the building.
In September, five people were killed when a wall of a dilapidated government school building collapsed in Karachi’s Orangi Town, although the school was closed at the time.
The repeated incidents have raised questions about building maintenance, construction standards, and the enforcement of safety regulations at educational institutions.