School roof collapse in Pakistan kills at least 35 and injures more than 50

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The roof of a private school collapsed in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday, resulting in at least 34 child fatalities and over 50 injuries, marking the deadliest building collapse in the country's history, according to authorities and a hospital official. The victims, aged between 6 and 14, were all students of Al-Khair school.

Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim reported that several injured individuals were in critical condition. The hospital promptly declared an emergency, with medical staff working tirelessly to treat the wounded.

Emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi confirmed that all individuals trapped under the debris had been rescued hours after the collapse, which occurred in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Faizi stated that the roofs of two classrooms gave way when second- and third-grade children, along with their teachers, were present. Rescue crews arrived from a nearby facility within five minutes of being alerted, and nearly 100 rescuers were involved in the operation.