Peshawar school roof collapse kills children and teacher; inquiry ordered

Children and a woman teacher died when a private school's roof gave way in Peshawar on Thursday, October 15, with officials reporting more than 40 injuries. The disaster struck Dir Colony in the capital of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.

Reports carried different death tolls, ranging from 17 children and a teacher to 28 children and a teacher. Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim put the number of students killed at 28 in the higher tally, which included six girls.

According to Asim, none of the children who died was older than 13. The hospital activated emergency arrangements for the injured, some of whom were reported to be in a critical condition.

Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said the school's owner had been taken into custody. Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir ordered an inquiry, while the reason for the roof's collapse remained under investigation.

Police described the building as structurally weak, according to reports. The arrest and the inquiry were reported as rescue workers continued looking for children and employees who could still be beneath the debris.

Emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said children remained trapped. Teams worked through the rubble to reach them, while residents also helped at the site, according to accounts of the rescue effort.

Parents assembled near the school and at the hospital as they sought news of their children. The search operation continued alongside efforts to provide medical care to those pulled from the wreckage.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to the families and instructed officials to arrange the best available treatment for the injured. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed sorrow over the deaths.

With inputs from Hindustan Times, NDTV, India Today and The Hindu.