Peshawar: At least 28 children and two female teachers have been reported killed after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, on Thursday. Several other people were injured, while rescue workers searched the site for anyone who might still be trapped beneath the debris.
The reported death toll has varied as more information emerged from the scene. Earlier reports recorded fewer deaths, while later local reports gave a higher figure. The final number of casualties should be confirmed by hospital officials or emergency services.
The collapse occurred in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Local reports placed the school in Dir Colony, near College Road. However, the school's name and further details about its ownership were not clearly established in the available reports.
Rescue 1122, the provincial emergency service, launched a search and rescue operation after the collapse. Emergency personnel worked to reach those trapped beneath the debris and provide medical assistance to the injured.
Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar received victims of the incident. Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for the hospital, provided information about the casualties in the initial reports. Hospital officials and emergency responders remain important sources for confirming the final death toll and the condition of those injured.
The cause of the collapse has not been conclusively established. Local reports indicated that police were examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, including concerns about the building's structural condition. However, an official investigation is needed to determine why the roof failed and whether any safety regulations were violated.
The tragedy has raised concerns about the safety of buildings used for education. Schools must provide secure environments for children, who depend on adults and public authorities to ensure that classrooms and other facilities are safe.
Pakistan has experienced other deadly building collapses involving children. In June 2026, a roof collapse at a tutoring centre in Lahore killed 14 children, according to earlier reports. A female teacher was also found beneath the rubble.
Following that incident, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said preliminary information indicated that the tutoring centre was unregistered and operating in a residential building with a deteriorated roof. Authorities said an investigation into possible negligence could follow.
However, the circumstances of the Lahore incident should not be assumed to be the same as those surrounding the collapse in Peshawar. Investigators will need to establish the condition of the Peshawar school building and determine whether maintenance problems, structural weaknesses or other factors contributed to the disaster.
The immediate priorities in Peshawar are confirming the number of people killed and injured, ensuring that anyone still trapped receives assistance and providing medical care to survivors. Further information from emergency services, hospital officials and the provincial government will help establish the full extent of the tragedy.
The investigation will also be important in determining whether the school building had undergone safety inspections and whether any warnings about its condition had been raised before the collapse.
For the families affected, the incident has brought devastating loss. The findings of the investigation will be crucial in establishing what happened and whether action is needed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.