PESHAWAR: The death toll from the school building collapse in Peshawar’s Dair Colony has risen to 34, including 32 children and two teachers, according to a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH). A total of 53 people were brought to the hospital, including 36 boys and 12 girls. The spokesperson added that 17 injured children had been discharged after receiving treatment. One death was reported in a separate hospital.
The capital city police officer (CCPO) Saeed Ahmad had said the area falls within Yakatoot police station’s jurisdiction and that about 120 children were in the building at the time. He said the school owner had been taken into custody.
A Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson confirmed the toll to HUM News. He said 20 of the 40 injured children were in critical condition with serious injuries, and that most had been moved to the intensive care unit. Thirty-two students were discharged from the Naseer Ullah Babar Hospital after they were provided with required medical assistance.
Inquiry ordered
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Adviser on Information Samar Haroon Bilour said hospital administration and police officials were present at the scene and coordinating with the parents to ensure the bodies of the deceased children were handed over to their families according to their preferences, while completing the necessary legal formalities as quickly as possible and minimising further distress.
She said officials would continue to provide updates and urged the public to keep roads clear for ambulances and patients, avoid crowding and refrain from speculation. Bilour assured the public that any changes in the casualty figures would be communicated transparently. She added that the KP government would stand by the bereaved families and provide all possible assistance, warning that those found responsible for the tragedy would face the strictest possible punishment.
Incident dubbed as ‘negligence’
Speaking to media, Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Saeed Ahmad said the building that collapsed was three storeys high and had been built in a very narrow lane in a congested, densely populated area. It falls within the limits of Yakatoot police station. However, it was later shared that the building was two-storey, with rooms built around all four sides and an open area in the centre. A room on the upper floor on one side of the building collapsed, bringing down the room directly beneath it. In total, two rooms collapsed.
“This is a very tragic incident,” he said. He said brick had been used in the lintel, and that all three floors held classrooms: about 30 children on the top floor, about 40 on the one below and about 45 on the ground floor, around 110 in all.
The CCPO said the school was run by a welfare trust called Al-Khair. The owner had been taken into custody, and the police had the principal’s details as well. Teachers’ details had also been collected, and all would be investigated.
He said more than 20 children and a teacher had died, around 47 were injured and 25 of them had been shifted to Lady Reading Hospital. “Unfortunately, the fear of more deaths is greater,” he said.
Police, Rescue 1122 and other agencies were at the site, with ambulances standing by, Ahmad said. About 80 per cent of the rescue work was done and 20 per cent remained. The narrow lanes were making rescue difficult.
Asked what caused the collapse, he said the building was overloaded. “You can see it is a lintel made of brick, and how much can you load a brick lintel?” he said. He said police were still urging people to move away from the site because the building remained very dangerous and there was a risk of further damage.
Ahmad said an FIR would be registered against the owners. “Seating children on three floors of such a fragile building in such narrow lanes, I think there has been a very big negligence,” he said. A proper inquiry would examine how the building code had been violated.
A police official also said 75 people had been injured in the incident and urged the public to donate blood for the injured and pray for the children’s speedy recovery. The official said the rescue operation had lasted around four to five hours, with various teams playing their part.
The official added that a thorough investigation would be conducted into how the school obtained permission to operate, whether it had a valid no-objection certificate (NOC), and whether the building had undergone the required inspections. The school principal is currently in police custody, a daily diary entry has been made, and an FIR is being registered, the official said, adding that the CCPO had ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident.
Situation at LRH
Lady Reading Hospital has set aside intensive care beds and mobilised its trauma teams for the children injured in the school roof collapse, hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim said while talking to HUM News.
Speaking in a television interview, Asim said the hospital’s trauma unit, neuro-trauma unit and operation theatre were ready. “We have also set aside some beds in the ICU, so that, God forbid, if any child needs it, we can shift them,” he said. A comprehensive team drawn from different units was working at the hospital, he added, and additional staff were on hand to monitor the situation.
Asked whether the hospital was facing any shortage of beds or ambulances, Asim said Rescue 1122, hospital administration and other staff were working together to bring the injured in on time, which allowed treatment to start sooner. “The sooner they are shifted, the sooner we can start treatment,” he said.
He said the hospital had no difficulty managing the casualties. “LRH’s emergency is the largest in the province, and at a time we can cater for 400 to 500 emergencies,” he said.
Asim confirmed that large crowds had gathered at the hospital. “Yes, there is a very heavy rush,” he said, explaining that 10 to 15 relatives were arriving from homes and villages with each injured person. He called it a difficult situation, but said the local police and the hospital’s own security staff had handled it well and that the rush had since eased.
How the roof collapsed
According to HUM News’ Peshawar bureau chief, the school is on Ring Road in Dir Colony.
Children in grades six and seven were most affected, and are believed to be between 11 and 14 years old. The number of children in the affected classrooms could not be confirmed. No school administration official was at the site to give details.
It was reported that the building was in poor condition and had been weakened by recent rains, which led to the accident. The cause has not been officially confirmed.
The incident took place around 9am in a densely populated area. Relatives and residents rushed to the site and tried to help rescuers. There were reports that the crowds hampered rescue work, and that narrow roads and heavy traffic made it hard to take the injured to hospital.
Leaders express grief
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief, offered condolences to the bereaved families and directed that rescue operations be speeded up. President Zardari also shared ‘profound shock’ and grief.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also offered condolences and ordered immediate assistance for the injured.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said his heart was saddened by the loss of the children and that he shared equally in the grief of the bereaved families.
Adviser on Information Samar Haroon Bilour said: “We share the pain and grief of our people in this difficult hour.” She directed that the injured receive the best and timely medical care, praised the prompt response of Rescue 1122 personnel and said all resources should be used to safely recover those trapped under the debris.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja expressed deep grief over the deaths of the children and a female teacher, saying his heart was saddened by the loss of innocent lives. “The Peshawar incident is extremely sad for every compassionate person,” he said, offering condolences to the families and saying the party stood with the bereaved in their hour of sorrow. “The loss of innocent children’s lives is an irreparable shock,” he said. He wished the injured a speedy recovery and prayed for patience and strength for the affected families.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed sorrow over the deaths of the students, offered sympathy to the bereaved families and prayed for the injured children’s quick recovery. “I can understand the grief of the parents of the children who have died,” she said.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he was deeply shocked by the news from Dir Colony and that he felt the intensity of the grief of the parents of the dead students. He directed the administration to intensify rescue work and immediately pull out those trapped under the rubble, and to make effective arrangements for treating the injured brought to Lady Reading Hospital.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi called the loss of innocent children “heart-wrenching”. He said he had directed the education adviser to submit a detailed report on the incident, and ordered the relevant authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
Kundi said he had also ordered a provincial structural safety audit of all educational institutions, to identify any risks and take immediate corrective action where needed. “We cannot compromise on the safety of our children,” he said. He offered condolences to the families and prayed for the injured’s complete recovery.
Fourth major school roof collapse this year
Four major school roof collapses have occurred in the country this year. On February 21, a shed at an under-construction government girls’ high school in Sialkot fell, killing an eighth-grade student. On May 7, four students died when a classroom roof collapsed at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan. On June 30, 14 children were killed when the roof of a tuition centre collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area. On July 2, an eight-year-old boy died when part of an under-construction school building collapsed in Lahore’s Baghbanpura.
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