A devastating incident occurred in a private educational center, Al-Khair, in Pakistan, where a roof collapse during classes led to the deaths of multiple children, mostly aged under 13. At the time of the incident, there were 110 students present in three classrooms when the roof of the upper floor fell onto the lower levels, destroying two floors of the building.
The majority of the deceased were children from low-income families, including 12 girls. Rescue operations lasted approximately four to five hours, with first responders manually clearing debris to retrieve injured children, who were then transported to ambulances. Families gathered near the school, anxiously searching for their loved ones.
Mohammad Aseem, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital, reported that three children with head injuries remain in critical condition, while most of the injured were treated and released.
The police chief of Peshawar, Mian Saeed, stated that the building’s structure was weak, and the construction work had overloaded the roof, leading to the collapse. The owner of the school has been arrested, and an investigation is underway.
Relatives of the deceased emphasize that warnings about the building’s structural integrity were ignored and called for accountability to prevent similar tragedies, insisting that schools must not be opened solely for profit without ensuring proper conditions.
According to Reuters, Pakistan allocates less than 1% of its GDP to education, resulting in many families relying on low-cost private schools. Some of these institutions operate in rented buildings that are in poor condition and under limited oversight. In June, at least 14 children died when the roof of a tutoring center collapsed in Lahore.
