20 children and a teacher die as private school roof collapses in Peshawar

Twenty children and a woman teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The roof of the Al Khair private school, which operates in the Afridi Abad area, came down suddenly.

The children were studying in class as usual when the entire roof fell in a moment, burying the children and the teacher under the debris. Panic spread through the area and parents were gripped by fear.

The administration of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in Peshawar said that of the 20 children who died, 18 were boys and 2 were girls, all aged between 7 and 12. According to hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim, 21 people were seriously injured in the incident and their treatment was started immediately. He said at least 5 of the injured were in a critical condition, and an emergency has been declared at the hospital.

As news spread, local residents and teams of Rescue 1122 reached the spot. Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir said the administration began relief work at once and personnel made every effort to pull out the children trapped under the debris. Hundreds of anxious parents rushed to the school, creating scenes of a huge crowd and wailing outside it.

In a post on social media, Sajjad Tarakzai wrote that 16 children and a teacher had died when the roof of a private school collapsed in Dir Colony, that the rescue operation was continuing and that several people were feared to be still trapped under the debris.

Sameeullah, the father of one child, described what he went through. "I got a call from home at around 8:50 in the morning and I ran and reached the school by 9. Six of my children study in this school. When I saw the collapsed building, I had given up hope for my son who studies on the ground floor. But by luck, he had stepped out of the class to drink water just a few minutes before the accident, and that is why his life was saved." Sameeullah himself helped pull three young girls out of the debris safely.

In July, a few months earlier, three girls had died when part of the boundary wall of a government primary school collapsed near Umerkot.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep grief over the incident. He said the death of innocent children in this manner was a deeply sad tragedy, and conveyed condolences to the families of the dead. He has ordered a thorough inquiry into the incident and assured strict action against those responsible. Local residents, however, are angry and say that no improvement is ever seen on the ground after such inquiries.