At least 35 pupils and a female teacher have died after the roof of a private school collapsed in Deir Colony, Peshawar, on Thursday morning. Several children are feared to remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Muhammad Asim, spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital Medical Teaching Institution (MTI), said 17 children and a woman teacher were initially brought to the hospital dead. He later confirmed that more than 45 injured pupils and teachers had also been taken there, while 18 children died after arriving at the hospital.
The children who died were aged between five and 13, the hospital spokesperson said. Seven girls were among the dead. Some of the injured were in a critical condition, and the hospital said they were receiving immediate medical treatment.
An emergency was declared at Lady Reading Hospital, where staff were present in the trauma unit to oversee the response.
The Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar said around 110 children were inside the three-storey school building when the roof collapsed. He added that the authorities had already issued notices to the school administration over the building’s poor condition.
The school building was sealed after the incident, and the owner of the private school has been arrested.
Rescue workers reached the scene and began clearing the rubble and evacuating the injured. Pakistan Army personnel joined Rescue 1122 teams and other relief departments in the operation, working to remove debris and reach anyone who might still be trapped.
According to rescue officials, most of the injured were children aged around 13 and members of staff from the Al-Khair School System. They were taken to Lady Reading Hospital for treatment. The possibility that more children remain beneath the rubble has raised concerns as the search continues.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the collapse.
Javed Iqbal, managing director of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Regulatory Authority, has been appointed chairman of the committee. Muhammad Farooq, deputy secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, has been named as a member.
The committee has been directed to submit a full report on the incident on Thursday. It will examine the causes of the collapse, possible negligence and structural defects in the building. It will also make recommendations to help prevent similar incidents in future.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Nigar Johar visited Lady Reading Hospital and met injured patients. She directed hospital officials to ensure they received the best possible medical care.
Parents of the pupils expressed anger and grief, blaming what they described as negligence by the authorities. They said the school building was around 50 years old and claimed that it had not been subject to proper inspections or oversight. They also said they had taken part in rescue efforts themselves after the collapse.
The incident has prompted expressions of grief from national and provincial leaders, alongside calls for a full investigation and stronger safety measures in educational institutions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has sought a report on the incident. He expressed sorrow over the deaths and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured children.
The province’s Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, Inayatullah Wasim, has also taken notice of the incident. He has asked the managing director of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA), Javed Iqbal, to submit a report by the following day.
The secretary also directed the authority to take action against private schools operating in buildings with inadequate safety standards.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep shock and grief over the deaths and injuries among pupils and teachers. He said the tragedy had left the entire nation mourning and prayed for the early and full recovery of those injured.
The president directed the relevant authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and provide all possible assistance to affected families.
President Zaradri also called for a comprehensive investigation to establish the cause of the collapse and stressed the need to ensure that school buildings meet safety standards to prevent similar incidents in future.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the tragedy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He directed the administration to accelerate rescue operations.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi offered condolences to the affected families, saying that the nation shared their grief.
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of pupils and teachers in the collapse at a private school in Deir Colony. He said news of the incident had left him deeply shocked and acknowledged the pain of the parents who had lost their children.
Bilawal also called for effective arrangements to ensure proper treatment for the injured taken to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed grief over the deaths of the children and offered his condolences and sympathy to their families. He described the loss of young lives as deeply distressing and prayed for the recovery of those injured.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also expressed sorrow over the incident, saying the loss of innocent children’s lives was an irreparable tragedy.
It is pertinent to mention that on May 7, 2026, at least four children were killed and several others injured after the roof of a classroom collapsed at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan.
According to rescue teams, the incident took place at a school located between Blocks V and W in the city.
Officials confirmed that the bodies of four children had been recovered from the rubble, while a teacher and eight injured children were rescued alive and shifted for medical treatment.
Police and district administration officials also reached the area to supervise the operation.
Members of the rescue team said the roof appeared to have collapsed because it had been overloaded.
Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and shoddy construction materials in the South Asian country of more than 240 million people.
In June this year more than a dozen children were killed in a roof collapse at a tutoring centre in Lahore.
In 2025, 27 people were killed and 10 injured when a five-storey building collapsed in the impoverished area of Lyari in Karachi.
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