School roof collapses in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 33 people
At least 32 students and a teacher killed in incident at Al-Khair Education Centre, a private school in Peshawar.
Key points
- A school roof collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing at least 32 students and one teacher.
- More than 45 children were injured, many between six and 12 years old.
- The school owner was arrested as authorities investigate the cause.
The roof of a private school in Peshawar, in northwestern Pakistan, collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 32 students and a teacher and injuring more than 45 others, authorities and rescue officials said.
The incident occurred at Al-Khair Education Centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Mohammad Asim, spokesman for Lady Reading Hospital, said the dead included 12 girls and a female teacher, and that some of the injured were in critical condition.
Rescue and hospital response
Most of the children killed or injured were between six and 12 years old, with the oldest 14, Asim said. The hospital declared an emergency as staff treated the wounded.
Arif Khattak, regional director of the Rescue Department, said at least 45 children suffered injuries ranging from minor wounds to severe trauma. Television footage showed rescuers digging through debris with their bare hands and carrying bloodied children to ambulances.
A higher-floor roof collapsed onto classrooms below, crumpling two storeys of the building, a rescue official said. Hours later, officials said everyone trapped under the rubble had been recovered. Emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said nearly 100 rescuers took part, including parents, and credited the rapid evacuation with saving at least 40 lives.
The entire nation shares the grief of the affected families in this hour of sorrow.
— Asif Ali Zardari
Arrest and investigation
Peshawar police chief Saeed Ahmed said the school owner had been arrested and that the building was structurally weak. After his arrest, the owner, Mohammad Khan, blamed this week's rains for weakening one of the roofs, according to police, who said the investigation was still under way.
The provincial government said a committee had been formed to investigate the cause of the collapse of the three-storey building. In Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow and offered condolences to the bereaved families.
