School roof collapse kills teacher, 27 children in Pakistan

A teacher and at least 27 pupils were killed on Thursday when the roof of the privately run Al Khair Education Centre collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan. The incident occurred during classes when the roof of an upper floor collapsed onto the classrooms below, causing both storeys to cave in. Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed stated the collapse was due to a weak building structure and excessive weight from construction on the roof.

Rescue teams, including 60 personnel and 16 ambulances, were deployed to the site. District emergency officer Iftikhar Khan reported that at least 45 children had been removed, but expressed concerns that more pupils remain trapped beneath the rubble. Police chief Mian Saeed noted that only 47 of the 110 students inside the classrooms at the time of the collapse had been rescued.

Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim confirmed that most of the deceased and at least 20 injured people were taken to Lady Reading Hospital. The South China Morning Post reported that over 30 people were injured, with six believed to be in critical condition, prompting the hospital to declare an emergency. Authorities have ordered an investigation into the cause of the disaster.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, The National UAE, The National Business, South China Morning Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.