Children feared trapped after roof collapse at pakistan school kills 31, officials say
Rescue crews search the rubble
The school was in Peshawar, the capital of a northern province, according to emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi. Rescue personnel were looking for several more children believed to remain beneath the debris.
Witnesses said residents reached the site first. Rescue teams arrived within minutes of being notified, as the school stood in a densely populated central part of the city.
Children among the victims
The people who died were all 13 or younger, Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital, said. Dozens of others were injured, and some were in critical condition.
Peshawar Police Chief Mian Saeed said 110 students were inside the school when the roof collapsed. Officials first reported 33 deaths, then updated the figure to 31.
Police investigate the building
Authorities are examining what caused the collapse. Police said the building had been made with weak materials and was carrying excessive weight. Police also said the building’s owner had been arrested. The investigation remains underway as rescue teams continue their search.
Key points
- The collapse happened Thursday at a school in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan.
- Authorities revised the death toll from 33 to 31.
- All those killed were 13 years old or younger, hospital officials said.
- Police cited weak building materials and excessive weight as possible factors.