Pakistan orders school inspections following deadly roof collapse

Families of children who perished when a school roof collapsed in northwest Pakistan are demanding justice, a day after more than 30 pupils and a teacher were crushed to death. The incident occurred on Thursday morning at Al-Khair School and Madrasa Darul Quran wa Niswan in Peshawar, with all victims being under the age of 14. Tailor Muhammad Wahab, whose 11-year-old nephew Hammad died in the accident, called for justice for the parents of the deceased.

"I appeal to our rulers," he said, adding that Hammad had been doing well in school before the tragedy.

Dozens of mourners gathered outside the school on Friday to pay tribute to the children killed in the collapse, which authorities blamed on deteriorating infrastructure. Parents recalled their grief-stricken faces as they shared photographs of their young children who lost their lives. One parent, Asadullah, revealed he had lost a son, a nephew, and three other close relatives in the tragedy.

The aftermath of the collapse was described as chaotic as people rushed to rescue trapped children from under the rubble. Sohail, a witness, recounted seeing around 10 to 15 children entangled in debris, with the rubble piled up to their necks. Rescue workers, clad in high-visibility vests, worked tirelessly to move the debris and pull the children to safety.

The school owner has been detained, according to a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Initial reports suggest the roof collapse was due to weak infrastructure. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in an X post, while President Asif Ali Zardari called the incident a "heartbreaking tragedy."

Building collapses are frequent in Pakistan, often attributed to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials. In June, over a dozen children were killed when a roof collapsed at a tutoring center in Lahore, and in 2025, 27 people were killed and 10 injured when a five-story building collapsed in Karachi.