At least 35 people, including 34 children and a teacher, were killed Thursday when the roof of a private school suddenly collapsed in Pakistan, trapping young students beneath tons of debris as frantic parents and rescue workers raced to save them.
The horrifying disaster unfolded October 15 at Al-Khair School in Peshawar, a city in northwestern Pakistan, where children were attending morning classes when part of the three-story building gave way.
More than 50 people were injured, some critically, in what has become one of the country’s deadliest school building collapses.
According to authorities, the collapse struck classrooms filled with young students, leaving children and staff trapped beneath broken concrete and other debris.
The victims were mostly elementary-school-age children, with some as young as six.
Emergency crews rushed to the densely populated neighborhood, where residents had already begun desperately searching through the wreckage.
Approximately 100 rescuers participated in the operation, working alongside volunteers to locate survivors and carry injured children to waiting ambulances.
At nearby Lady Reading Hospital, medical officials declared an emergency as doctors and nurses struggled to treat the growing number of casualties.
Hospital spokesman Mohammad Asim confirmed that several injured children were in critical condition.
One teacher, Mahwish Zaman, described the terrifying moment the building collapsed around her.
Speaking from her hospital bed, Zaman told The Associated Press that she had been inside her classroom when the roof suddenly gave way. She recalled feeling as though the sky had fallen before losing consciousness.
She later woke up in the hospital.
The school reportedly had approximately 1,200 students enrolled, ranging from preschool through fifth grade.
One local father, Samiullah Khan, narrowly avoided losing his own child.
Khan said he rushed to the school after learning about the collapse and helped rescue three girls from the wreckage.
His son, who attended the school, survived because he had briefly stepped outside his classroom to get a drink of water.
Meanwhile, terrified parents gathered outside the damaged building and crowded into local hospitals, desperately searching for information about their children.
Rescue officials later confirmed that everyone believed trapped beneath the rubble had been recovered, allowing crews to begin clearing the remaining debris.
Authorities have arrested the school’s owner as investigators examine allegations that the building was structurally unsafe.
Peshawar police chief Saeed Ahmed said preliminary findings pointed to weaknesses in the structure. Investigators are also examining whether additional construction and recent rainfall contributed to the collapse.
The provincial government has established a committee to investigate the disaster and determine whether safety violations or negligence played a role.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gov. Faisal Karim Kundi expressed condolences to the families and ordered officials to ensure that injured children received appropriate medical treatment.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also issued statements mourning the victims and calling for accountability.
The tragedy has renewed serious concerns about school building safety in Pakistan, where poorly maintained structures, substandard construction materials, and inconsistent enforcement of building regulations have contributed to previous disasters.
In July, four schoolchildren were killed when a roof collapsed at a tutoring center under construction in Lahore.
UNICEF also called for stronger safety inspections and enforcement at public and private schools, emphasizing that children should never have to risk their lives simply by attending class.
For dozens of families in Peshawar, an ordinary school morning has turned into an unimaginable tragedy.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have warned that the number of fatalities could change as hospitals continue treating the injured.
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