Heavy Rain Blamed for Deadly School Roof Collapse in Pakistan

At least 32 children and one teacher are dead after a school roof collapsed in Pakistan. Heavy rain that swept through the city of Peshawar is responsible for the collapse. Here is the latest on this tragedy.

Dozens of Students Dead After Pakistan School Roof Collapse

Dozens of people died on Thursday morning in Peshawar, Pakistan, when the roof of a two-story building at Al Khair Public School collapsed. According to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, the deceased children ranged in age from six to 14 years old. A 25-year-old teacher also lost her life.

The hospital reported that approximately 50 children were hurt when the roof collapsed. Several of these victims remain in the hospital. Video footage from the scene shows ambulances speeding through narrow streets surrounding the school. Local residents arrived to help minutes after the collapse, followed by rescue workers.

Search and rescue efforts continued through the day. Emergency services eventually stopped the efforts after they determined that all of the victims had been pulled out from the rubble.

These types of events are not unheard of in Pakistan. Substandard construction materials, loose building codes, and poor enforcement make building collapses a common issue throughout the country. According to Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmed, the school's structure has been weakened by recent rains, exacerbating the already unstable structural frame.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari called the incident a “heart-wrenching tragedy,” pledging that officials will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the tragedy. The president's office posted on X, “In this hour of sorrow, the entire nation shares equally in the grief of the affected families."

Shehbaz Sharif, the country’s prime minister, echoed the sentiments of the president when expressing his condolences, saying that “no parent should have to endure such pain.” Sharif went on to explain, “I have directed that the injured receive the best possible care,” confirming that he will take "every necessary step” for the Pakistani children.

Law enforcement officials in Peshawar said that the school’s owner has been arrested. Local authorities also confirmed that an investigation into the collapse is ongoing. It is also being reported that parents with children attending the school had warned school officials that water was coming through the ceilings, signaling that the structure was unstable.

The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, is taking action by ordering a safety audit of all of the schools in this province. Kundi said that the goal of the audit is to "identify potential risks and ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever necessary".