Tragedy in Pakistan as School Roof Collapse Kills 27 Pupils, Teacher

A devastating school roof collapse in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, has claimed the lives of 27 children and a teacher, with more than 30 others injured, hospital officials said on Thursday.

Asim Khan of Lady Reading Hospital confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that 28 people had died in the incident. He said six of the injured were believed to be in critical condition.

Emergency officials said children were trapped beneath the debris after the roof gave way, crushing the classroom below.

Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesman for the Rescue 1122 emergency service in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, described the scene confronting rescuers.

“When the Rescue 1122 emergency response teams arrived at the scene, they found that one roof had collapsed on to another, causing the classroom below to be crushed and trapping children inside,” Faizi said.

“There are concerns that more children may still be trapped beneath the rubble,” he added.

Authorities mobilised 16 ambulances, two disaster response vehicles and more than 60 emergency personnel to support rescue operations.

Images released by the emergency services showed rescue workers in high-visibility clothing digging through dirt, rubble and broken construction materials in search of survivors. AFP journalists reported that dozens of people had gathered at the scene.

The tragedy prompted calls for accountability, with resident Sher Ahmed pointing to what he described as “substandard construction materials” and urging authorities to investigate.

“With profound grief and sorrow, I urge the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and take strict action against anyone found responsible so that such tragedies can be prevented in the future,” Ahmed said.

President, prime minister mourn victims

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the deaths, describing the loss of life as deeply distressing.

“The Prime Minister extends his condolences to the bereaved families and prays for them to have the strength and patience to bear this irreparable loss,” his office said in a statement, which also conveyed his “deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives”.

President Asif Ali Zardari described the incident as a “heartbreaking tragedy,” saying the entire country stood in solidarity with the bereaved families.

“In this hour of grief, the entire nation shares the sorrow of the affected families,” Zardari said.

Repeated collapses expose construction safety concerns

The incident has once again drawn attention to building safety concerns in Pakistan, where roof and structural collapses are frequently associated with weak safety enforcement and substandard construction materials.

The country, which has a population of more than 240 million, has experienced similar tragedies in recent years.

In June, more than a dozen children died when the roof of a tutoring centre collapsed in Lahore, in eastern Pakistan.

In 2025, a separate building disaster in Lyari, a deprived neighbourhood in Karachi, killed 27 people and injured another 10 when a five-storey structure collapsed.

The latest school disaster has intensified calls for a comprehensive investigation and tougher action against those responsible for unsafe construction, as families mourn the children and teacher killed in the collapse.

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