A school roof collapse in Peshawar, Pakistan, killed at least 27 pupils and one teacher on Thursday morning, with rescue teams still pulling children from the rubble of the privately run Al-Khair Education Center in the city's Dir Colony neighborhood.
What happened at the Al-Khair Education Center
The roof of an upper floor gave way during morning classes and crashed onto the classrooms below, crumpling two storeys of the two-story building, rescue officials said. About 110 pupils, most of them 13 or younger, were inside three stacked classrooms when the collapse struck, according to Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed. The emergency call reached Rescue 1122 at 8:48 a.m., and teams arrived within five minutes.
Heavy overnight rainfall had weakened the building, rescue officials told CNN, while police said excessive construction weight piled onto the roof of an already weak structure triggered the disaster. "It was a weak building structure," Saeed said, adding that the roof was overloaded with construction on a frame that could not bear it.
Rescue teams race against time
More than 60 rescue personnel, 16 ambulances and Pakistan Army soldiers joined the operation in Dir Colony's narrow streets, which slowed heavy equipment. District emergency officer Iftikhar Khan said rescuers had pulled at least 45 children from the debris, but feared more were still buried. Lady Reading Hospital declared an emergency as the injured arrived; hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim said 52 people were hurt, with around 20 in critical condition in neurosurgery and intensive care units.
The death toll climbed through the day as bodies were recovered, rising from early reports of around 17 pupils to at least 27 children and a teacher, with officials warning the number could grow further. All of the children killed were between seven and 13 years old.
Weak structure blamed as owner is arrested
Police took the school's owner into custody and said a formal case would be registered, with investigators also examining who issued the building's No Objection Certificate. President Asif Ali Zardari called the collapse a "heart-wrenching tragedy" and ordered a comprehensive investigation, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and directed authorities to give the injured every possible medical assistance.
Building collapses are a recurring tragedy in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced and substandard materials are common. The disaster comes just weeks after a hospital fire in Islamabad killed at least 14 newborns, sparking arrests and public anger over safety failures.
For the families of Dir Colony, the questions now are who allowed a weak building to hold 110 children, and how many more such structures stand across the country. The investigation ordered by the president will have to answer both.
Watch: SAMAA TV's footage from the rescue operation at the collapsed school in Peshawar's Dir Colony.
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