In brief
On Thursday morning a temporary private school in Peshawar’s Dir Colony collapsed, burying 33 pupils and a teacher under rubble. The roof of the top floor gave way, ripping through two further levels and sending debris onto the classrooms below. Authorities say the structure was overloaded with sub‑standard roof slabs and was built without proper safety codes. The police chief has ordered a full inquiry and the school owner faces arrest, while the governor has demanded a safety audit of all schools in the province. This incident joins earlier tragedies, including a Lahore tuition centre collapse and a neonatal unit fire, highlighting systemic safety gaps.
The tragedy happened in the heart of Peshawar on Thursday morning when the roof of a private school collapsed, burying students and a teacher under rubble. Thirty‑three lives were lost and dozens were injured.
Emergency services beat the 08:48 call before the bells rang. Rescue workers have said the building was a temporary structure, not built to safety standards.
Police chief Mian Saeed said the “sub‑standard” roof slabs and overload had caused the collapse. He has ordered a full inquiry and says the school owner will be held accountable.
The governor ordered a safety audit of every school in the province to “prevent future disasters.” Families of victims are calling for stricter enforcement and a punishment for those who ignored warnings.
A clip shows rescuers pulling children from the rubble with shovels, the scene still shocking.
Related incidents have happened before: a tuition centre roof fell in Lahore last June, and a neonatal unit fire in Islamabad claimed 14 babies in August.
Follow us for updates on the investigation and how we can all help keep schools safe.
