Peshawar school roof collapse kills 33 pupils and a teacher

At least 33 pupils and a teacher were killed and more than a dozen injured when the roof of an upper-floor classroom collapsed at the private Al-Khair school in Dir Colony, in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, on Thursday morning, hospital and rescue officials said.

What happened at the Al-Khair school in Peshawar?

Emergency services were called to the school at 08:48 local time (03:48 GMT) on Thursday, after lessons had begun, rescue official Bilal Faizi told the BBC. The roof of an upper-floor classroom collapsed and caused ceilings below to cave in, trapping children under the debris. Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed later said classrooms on three floors were brought down. About 30 pupils were in the top class, 40 in the middle class and 45 on the ground floor, he said.

How many people were killed and injured?

Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital reported the deaths of 32 children and one teacher, while Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital reported one child dead. More than a dozen people were injured, some critically, according to hospital officials. Saeed said the building remained “extremely dangerous” and urged people to move away.

What caused the collapse?

Saeed said the structure had “substandard” roof slabs and was “overloaded”, beyond the weight it could bear. He announced the arrest of the school’s owner and promised a thorough inquiry into “whether there were any violations of building codes”. Emergency official Arif Khattak said the building had been constructed on a temporary basis. The school stands on a very narrow street, which made it difficult for rescuers to reach the site and to move the injured to hospital.

What did rescuers and families say?

An English teacher from a nearby school said he rushed to the site with other residents after hearing sirens and ambulances, and that together they pulled more than 20 children from the rubble. “I personally pulled out six children with my own hands. Most of them were alive and talking. But later it was found that they had passed away,” he said. “There was a lot of blood,” he added. Local resident Sohail said he and others tried to remove children from under the rubble “using shovels”. Mohammad Zaman, who lost two nephews, told Reuters news agency: “Make an example of them, a lesson for all.”

What has the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government ordered?

Faisal Karim Kundi, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has ordered a safety audit of all schools in the province to “identify potential risks and ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever necessary”. “We cannot allow the safety of our children to be compromised,” he said.

Have other building failures killed children in Pakistan?

In June, 14 children died after the roof of a private tuition centre near Lahore collapsed. In August, 14 newborn babies were killed by a fire that ripped through a neonatal unit at a hospital in Islamabad; an inquiry found the unit lacked fire alarms and sprinklers.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, supporters of the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan have marched on Islamabad demanding his release, and his sister, Aleema Khanum, has been arrested.

Frequently asked questions

How many people died in the Peshawar school roof collapse?

At least 33 pupils and one teacher were killed, according to hospital officials. Lady Reading Hospital reported the deaths of 32 children and a teacher, and Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital reported one child dead.

Where did the school roof collapse happen?

At the private Al-Khair school in Dir Colony, in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar. Emergency services were called to the site at 08:48 local time on Thursday, after lessons had begun.

What caused the roof to collapse?

Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said the structure had “substandard” roof slabs and was “overloaded”. The school’s owner has been arrested and police promised an inquiry into possible violations of building codes.

Who ordered a safety audit of schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

Faisal Karim Kundi, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ordered a safety audit of all schools in the province to identify risks and take immediate corrective measures.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)