School Roof Collapse in Peshawar, Pakistan, Kills at Least 34 Children and a Teacher
Police blamed added construction on a weak structure and arrested the private school's owner. Later reports put the death toll at 35.
By Watchman Report staff ·
At least 34 schoolchildren and a female teacher died Thursday when the roof of the privately run al-Khair school collapsed during morning classes in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, Reuters reported in The Guardian. A total of 110 students were in three classrooms when the roof of a higher floor caved in at 8:48 a.m., crumpling two stories. Most of the victims were under 13 and from low-income families, and at least 45 children were injured, emergency services said. Arab News and Al Jazeera later put the toll at 35.
"It was a weak building structure," Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said. "Its roof was overloaded with construction on a weak structure, which caused the collapse." The school's owner was arrested, and Pakistan ordered an investigation. Grieving relatives accused the school of ignoring concerns about the building. "Make an example of them, a lesson for all, so that no one dares open a school just to make money without providing facilities," said Mohammad Zaman, who lost two nephews.
Pakistan spends less than 1% of its GDP on education, leaving many families dependent on low-cost private schools, many of them in poorly maintained rented buildings with limited oversight, The Guardian reported. In June, at least 14 children died when the roof of a tutoring center collapsed in Lahore. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to the families.
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