Pakistan school roof collapse kills dozens of pupils, teacher in Peshawar

A roof collapse at the private Al-Khair Education Center in Peshawar killed at least 28 people on Thursday, according to Dawn. The fatalities include 27 students and one female teacher. While Free Malaysia Today reported the school is located in Dir Colony, Dawn stated the incident occurred in the Afridi Abad locality. Most of the deceased were age 13 or younger, according to Free Malaysia Today and The Korea Times.

The collapse reportedly occurred while students were in their classrooms. A rescue official told Free Malaysia Today that the roof of a higher floor fell onto the first floor, which then collapsed onto the students. While France 24 and The Korea Times reported more than 30 people were injured, Dawn reported 19 people remained injured. The Korea Times noted that more than three dozen people were wounded, and Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim confirmed some of the injured were in critical condition.

Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir told Dawn that the rescue operation has concluded and all debris has been cleared. Earlier, rescue officials and spokespeople had indicated that workers were searching for children feared to be trapped under the rubble.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Free Malaysia Today, The Korea Times, Dawn, Dawn - Pakistan — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.