At Least 20 Children and a Teacher Killed as Private School Roof Collapses in Peshawar
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The roof of a private school collapsed on Thursday morning in the Dir Colony (also referred to as Afridi Abad) area of Peshawar, killing at least 20 students and one female teacher, according to the latest reports from Lady Reading Hospital and Pakistani media. Dozens more were injured, some critically, and rescue teams continued searching rubble amid fears the toll could rise.
The incident occurred at Al-Khair School System (also called Al Khair School), a private institution, while students were in classrooms. Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim confirmed that the children were aged 13 and under, with some reports specifying ages of roughly 7 to 12; among the student victims were 18 boys and two girls. An emergency was declared at Lady Reading Hospital, where many of the injured were taken. Early reports, including from the Associated Press, put the death toll at least 10 children with more than two dozen injured and some still trapped; figures climbed as bodies were recovered and more victims were confirmed.
Rescue 1122 emergency teams, along with local responders and parents, worked to clear debris. Officials noted that several children may have remained trapped under the rubble for hours after the collapse. One parent, Samiullah, told local media he helped rescue three young girls under age eight; his own son survived because he had stepped out of class for water.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear. Pakistani authorities, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, ordered a detailed investigation and report. Building and roof collapses are recurrent in Pakistan, often linked to poor enforcement of construction standards, use of substandard materials, aging structures, and inadequate oversight—particularly for private schools and tutoring centers operating in residential or non-purpose-built buildings.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief, offered condolences to the families, and directed authorities to provide the best medical care to the injured while accelerating rescue and relief efforts. Other officials, including provincial leaders and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, also conveyed sorrow and called for accountability.
The provincial education authorities directed a report from the Private Schools Regulatory Authority.
This tragedy follows a similar deadly incident in June 2026 in Lahore, where the roof of an unregistered private tutoring center collapsed, killing 14 children (mostly young) and injuring others; construction work and a dilapidated structure were cited in that case. Other collapses, including a school wall failure near Umerkot that killed three girls earlier in the year, have highlighted ongoing risks in educational facilities across the country.
As of the latest available reports on October 15, 2026, rescue operations were continuing, and the full extent of casualties and the precise circumstances remained under investigation. The incident has renewed public concern over safety standards in Pakistan’s private educational institutions.
