ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities on Thursday ordered an investigation into the collapse of a school roof in Peshawar that killed 28 people, including 27 students and one teacher, with officials warning the death toll could rise as rescue operations continued.
Rescue teams recovered 45 students from the rubble of the Al-Khair Education Center, according to district emergency officer Iftikhar Khan. At least 20 others were injured, with six in critical condition, hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim said. The school’s owner was arrested, Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed confirmed.
Collapse Mechanism
The disaster occurred when the roof of a higher floor gave way, collapsing two storeys onto students in classrooms. Bilal Faizi, a government emergency services spokesman, said the structure was overloaded with construction materials, contributing to the failure. Saeed described the building as having a "weak structure" and noted that only 47 of 110 students in three classrooms had been rescued at the time of his statement.
Rescue and Response
Emergency services declared a hospital-wide emergency as medical staff treated the wounded. Residents and volunteers were among the first to reach the scene in a congested neighborhood, followed by rescue workers within minutes. Television footage showed ambulances transporting bloodied children to Lady Reading Hospital, where anguished parents awaited news of their children.
Witness Accounts
Zahir Hussain, a nearby resident, told CBS News that the school occupied a two-story residential building on a narrow street and catered primarily to low-income families. He described the structure as "not suitable" for a school and noted that overcrowding may have exacerbated the collapse. Mahwish Zaman, an injured teacher, told The Associated Press that she was in her classroom when the roof gave way, saying she felt "as if the sky had fallen."
Official Statements
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed sorrow over the incident and directed officials to provide medical care to the injured. Authorities have not yet determined the exact cause of the collapse, though investigations are underway.
Building Safety Concerns
Multiple sources, including police and witnesses, cited structural deficiencies as a likely factor. Saeed specifically highlighted the roof’s excessive weight from construction materials as a contributing cause. No immediate comment was provided by school officials.
The tragedy has drawn attention to building safety standards in Pakistan, particularly for private educational institutions operating in densely populated areas.