Mourners gathered Wednesday in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore to bury 14 schoolchildren who were killed when the roof of a tutoring center collapsed on Tuesday. Another eight children were injured and hospitalized in stable condition.
Police are investigating whether negligence during ongoing construction work caused the collapse. Preliminary findings and residents indicate the tutoring center was operating in an aging building, and investigators believe the unfinished second-floor roof may have collapsed due to poor construction. At least two people, including the building owner, have been arrested as authorities work to determine responsibility.
Funeral prayers for the victims, who were up to 14 years old, began before dawn and continued through Wednesday morning. Most were buried in a local graveyard, while some families planned to transport their children's bodies to their native towns for burial. Ambulances brought the bodies to families in Kahna, a neighborhood on Lahore's outskirts, where cries were heard as the children were returned home.
Local resident Mohammad Tahir described how neighbors were the first responders, digging through debris with shovels and their bare hands before rescuers arrived. "We also pulled children from the rubble, but many could not be saved," Tahir said.
Building collapses are a recurring issue in Pakistan, attributed to poorly enforced construction standards, the use of substandard materials, and the occasional disregard for safety regulations to cut costs. Grief has reportedly turned to anger among some residents, who blamed the owner for operating in a building they described as old and unsafe despite ongoing construction. They have demanded strict punishment for those responsible.