PESHAWAR: At least 30 people, including schoolchildren and a female teacher, were killed and more than 40 others injured when the roof of a three-storey private school collapsed in the Dir Colony area of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. An inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the incident.
According to rescue officials, several children were trapped under the debris following the collapse. Rescue teams launched an operation to recover those trapped, while the injured children were shifted to various hospitals for medical treatment.
Hospital authorities said that 28 bodies were brought to Lady Reading Hospital, while two were taken to Naseerullah Babar Memorial Hospital. Rescue officials said that 25 injured children were also transported to hospitals for treatment. The ages of the children killed in the incident were reported to be between seven and 13 years.
Meanwhile, Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mian Saeed said that the number of injured had exceeded 40. He also confirmed that the owner of the private school had been arrested.
According to the district administration, the school building had three storeys. An inquiry committee has been constituted to determine the circumstances surrounding the collapse and establish its cause.
Rescue officials said that debris removal operations were carried out at the site and all those trapped beneath the rubble had been recovered.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sorrow and grief over the incident and sought a report from the relevant authorities. He also directed officials to ensure the provision of the best possible medical care to the children injured in the collapse.
