Pakistan Orders School Inspections as Relatives Say They Warned of Risks before Deadly Collapse
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities ordered inspections of all private schools in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a school roof collapsed and killed 34 children and a teacher, as some victims' relatives said the structure previously was reported to be weak.
Pakistani authorities have directed an inspection of all private schools in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following a tragic school roof collapse that claimed the lives of 34 children and a teacher. Relatives of the victims have expressed their concerns, stating that the structure of the Al-Khair school was previously reported to be weak.
The school owner, Mohammad Khan, was arrested by police on Thursday, who claimed that recent rains had further weakened the roof of the building. Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmed confirmed that the building was structurally weak and noted that Khan had informed officers about the recent leaks. The government has ordered district committees to inspect all private school buildings, both owned and rented, within three days, and classify them as safe, requiring repair, or potentially unsafe.
The collapsed roof was a traditional structure made of mud and bricks, and some of the trapped children died of suffocation. Injured teacher Mahwish Zaman recounted the sudden collapse, which left her unconscious before she could warn her students. Many victims' families had previously complained about the building's condition to the owner about rainwater seepage, which they believed could lead to a tragedy.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
