Peshawar, October 15: At least 29 people, including 28 students and a female teacher, were killed and more than 40 others injured after the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Thursday, police said.
The incident occurred in Dir Colony in Peshawar’s inner-city area, triggering an emergency rescue operation. Peshawar Capital City Police Chief Mian Saeed confirmed the collapse and said the school owner had been arrested.
According to Muhammad Asim, spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital, the deceased included 28 students, among them six girls, and a female teacher. All the children who died in the incident were aged 13 or younger.
An emergency was declared at the hospital to ensure immediate treatment for the injured.
Rescue teams rushed to the site and began removing debris while searching for children and school staff who might still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir ordered an investigation into the incident to determine the circumstances that led to the building collapse.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and directed the concerned authorities to provide them with the best possible medical treatment.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed grief over the tragedy.
Rescue and relief operations continued as authorities worked to clear the debris and establish the full extent of the incident.
