Peshawar school roof collapse kills 33 students, 2 teachers

At least 33 children and two female teachers have died after a private school roof collapsed in Dir Colony, Peshawar, while 52 others injured, including children, have been shifted to Lady Reading Hospital.The bodies of 29 victims, including a female teacher and 28 children, were initially shifted to Lady Reading Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson. The spokesperson confirmed that 52 people were injured and transported to the hospital. The children who lost their lives were between seven and 13 years old. A second female teacher died later.Six girls are also among the deceased, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) confirmed. Three girls are among those injured in the incident.Following the roof collapse, rescue operations launched with the participation of the Pakistan Army and emergency response agencies have been completed. Army personnel worked alongside rescue teams to recover children and school staff trapped beneath the rubble and transport them to the hospital.The incident has left students and teachers among the dead and injured, prompting the hospital to declare an emergency.Muhammad Asim, spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), said 28 bodies had been brought to the hospital. The deceased were between seven and 13 years old, while 20 injured children were undergoing treatment. An emergency has been declared at the hospital following the school roof collapse in Peshawar.Asim said treating the injured was the hospital’s top priority. The injured are receiving medical care in the neurosurgery and intensive care unit (ICU) departments, with 20 of them reported to be in critical condition. He assured that no negligence would be tolerated in the treatment of the injured.Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mian Saeed said the school owner had been taken into custody and an FIR would be registered against the owners. He added that a comprehensive investigation would be conducted to determine who issued the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the school and establish responsibility for the incident.He said the school was operating under a trust and approximately 110 students were present in the building when the roof collapsed. He explained that three classrooms had been established on top of one another in the three-storey building. The ground-floor classroom had 45 children, the middle classroom had 40, while around 30 children were present in the top-floor classroom.Saeed said the narrow streets in the area hampered rescue operations. He reiterated that the school owner had been taken into custody and that a formal case would be registered, followed by a thorough investigation.Bilal Ahmed, in-charge of rescue operations, said a clearance operation was underway on one of the floors of the building. More than 40 children had been recovered from the rubble so far, while a schoolteacher and more than 20 children had lost their lives.Ahmed said 16 ambulances and rescue personnel were present at the site. He added that the emergency call was received at 8:48am and rescue teams arrived within five minutes. According to him, approximately 95% of the rescue operation had been completed.Meanwhile, a grieving father said he had recovered the body of one of his daughters, while two children belonging to his brother remained missing. The tragedy has left families desperately waiting for news of their loved ones as rescue teams continue their efforts.

Rescue operations continue at school

Rescue services said the roof of a private school in Dir Colony collapsed, trapping children beneath the debris. Rescue teams initially recovered 10 children from the rubble and shifted them to hospital.Rescue 1122 confirmed that rescue and relief operations had completed at the site.The collapse prompted an emergency response at both the school site and Lady Reading Hospital, where medical teams treated the injured children.Samar Haroon Bilour expressed deep sorrow over the incident, saying those responsible for negligence would be brought to justice. She said she had met the parents of some of the affected children and shared their grief.Bilour added that a comprehensive investigation would be conducted and that instructions had been issued to ensure the provision of all available medical facilities to the injured. She said the entire nation was mourning the loss and urged people to pray for the children and their parents.

President, PM express deep shock and grief

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed deep grief over the loss of precious lives in the Peshawar tragedy, including those of innocent children.The prime minister prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the deceased and extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. He also prayed that Allah grants the families patience, strength and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.Shehbaz has directed the authorities to ensure that all possible medical assistance is provided to the injured.President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed deep shock and grief over the loss of precious lives in the tragedy, saying the heartbreaking incident has left the entire nation in mourning. He extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift and complete recovery of those injured.President Zardari directed the relevant authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured. He said the entire nation shared the grief of the affected families and called for a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the incident. He also stressed the need to ensure that educational institutions comply with established building safety standards.Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has expressed deep sorrow over the school roof collapse, describing the incident as tragic and heartbreaking. He said the loss of innocent children’s lives was an irreparable tragedy and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured children.Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident at a private school in Peshawar’s Dir Colony. He said he was deeply shocked by the tragic news and shared the sorrow of parents who had lost their children.Bilawal urged the authorities to accelerate rescue operations to ensure that anyone still trapped beneath the debris was recovered without delay. He also called for effective medical treatment for the injured at Lady Reading Hospital.