Dozens Killed as Pakistan School Roof Collapses

At least 33 pupils and a teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Thursday. Hospital officials reported that more than a dozen others were injured, with some in critical condition, and emergency services feared additional children might be trapped under the rubble.

The incident occurred at the Al-Khair school in Dir Colony shortly after lessons began. A rescue official stated that the roof of an upper-floor classroom collapsed, causing ceilings on lower floors to cave in as well. "The children in the affected [classrooms] were trapped under the debris," the official, Bilal Faizi, told the BBC.

According to emergency official Arif Khattak, the school was housed in a building that had been constructed on a temporary basis. Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed later confirmed that classrooms on three floors were affected. He described the building's roof slabs as "substandard" and said the structure was overloaded. Police estimated there were approximately 30 pupils in the top class, 40 in the middle, and 45 on the ground floor. The collapse appears to have started on the top floor, with the falling debris bringing down ceilings below.