PESHAWAR | October 15, 2026 | Thirty-two students and a female teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, on Thursday, prompting authorities to launch an investigation and order a safety review of educational buildings.
The victims, aged between seven and 14, were at Al-Khair School in the city’s Afridi Abad area when the structure gave way, trapping children beneath the debris. Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim confirmed the death toll of 33 to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper. Three children with serious head injuries remained under treatment, while other injured students had been discharged.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said the collapse of one roof onto another crushed the classrooms below and trapped students inside. Rescue teams and Pakistan Army personnel participated in the emergency response. The operation was later declared complete after rescuers cleared the debris, according to local authorities.
Preliminary remarks from Peshawar’s police chief pointed to a weak building structure carrying excessive additional construction weight. Investigators have yet to establish the definitive cause. The school’s owner was arrested, according to a report by Dawn, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested a comprehensive investigation and directed officials to take action against those found responsible.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also sought a detailed report and ordered a structural safety audit of educational institutions across the province. Pakistan’s state broadcaster, Radio Pakistan, reported that President Asif Ali Zardari and the prime minister expressed condolences to the bereaved families and called for stronger enforcement of safety standards in school buildings.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about building safety and oversight of educational facilities in Pakistan. Similar collapses have occurred elsewhere in the country in recent months, including incidents involving school or tuition-centre buildings in Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan, according to Dawn. The investigation in Peshawar is expected to determine the circumstances of the collapse and whether safety requirements were violated.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
