School roof collapses in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 29 people

What the report says

A school roof collapse in Peshawar, in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has killed at least 29 people, according to Al Jazeera’s report. The incident happened on Thursday at Al-Khair Education Centre, a private school, where rescuers continued searching for survivors amid fears the toll could rise. The primary source said at least 28 students and one teacher were killed, and more than 20 people were injured.

Hospital officials said the children who died or were hurt were 13 or younger. Mohammad Asim, a hospital spokesman, said some of the injured were in critical condition, and Lady Reading Hospital declared an emergency to handle the casualties. Al Jazeera also reported that rescuers faced difficulty reaching the site because the school is in a congested area, forcing locals and emergency teams to clear rubble by hand with buckets and utensils while heavy machinery could not get close.

The school was said to have about 350 registered students, and authorities ordered an investigation into the cause of the collapse. Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar expressed condolences and said the government had taken serious note of the case, stressing the need to protect children. As a matter of general background, roof collapses in crowded buildings can be especially difficult to respond to quickly when access is limited and the structure is unstable.