In brief
In a tragic incident at Al‑Khair school in Dir Colony, a roof collapse killed at least 34 people, including students and a teacher, and injured dozens more. Emergency crews struggled to reach the cramped building, and survivors spoke of debris and blood upon arrival. Investigators cite sub‑standard construction and overloaded roof slabs as the cause, leading police to arrest the owner and launch a province‑wide safety audit. The tragedy follows earlier school and hospital disasters that highlighted Pakistan’s safety lapses. The incident demands stricter enforcement of building codes and more rigorous inspections of child‑education facilities.
At least 34 dead in Peshawar school roof collapse
At least thirty‑three pupils and a teacher were killed when a roof at Al‑Khair private school in Dir Colony, Peshawar, collapsed early that Thursday. Hospital officials list the death toll at 34, including an additional child whose body was found at the neighbouring Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital.
Emergency services were called at 08:48 local time, just as classes had begun. A collapsed upper‑floor roof sent debris racing into the rooms below, crushing ceilings and removing furniture. Witnesses describe a tangle of rubble that left many children trapped and bleeding.
The building was described as a temporary structure with sub‑standard roof slabs that had become overloaded. Police chief Mian Saeed said forensic inspection revealed violations of construction codes and gross negligence. The owner has been arrested and a safety audit has been ordered for all schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rescue teams, hampered by the narrow street that allowed only single‑vehicle passage, pulled more than twenty children from the debris, many of whom were alive but in critical condition. An English teacher who rushed to the scene reported “a lot of blood” and children crying for water.
The governor, Faisal Karim Kundi, cited the need to “identify potential risks and ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever necessary.” The tragedy follows earlier incidents of a private tuition centre the previous year and a neonatal unit fire that killed fourteen newborns, highlighting ongoing safety concerns across the country.
