At least 34 children and a female teacher have died after the roof of a private school collapsed during morning classes in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, triggering a major rescue operation and calls for accountability.
The incident occurred on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Al-Khair Education Center in the Dir Colony neighbourhood. Most of the children killed were below the age of 13.
Rescue workers and residents rushed to the scene to search through the rubble for survivors. The school’s location on a narrow street complicated the operation, as emergency vehicles faced difficulties accessing the site.
Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, confirmed the deaths. More than 50 people were reported injured in subsequent updates, with some children suffering critical injuries.
Police said the building had structural weaknesses and that construction on the roof may have placed excessive weight on an already fragile structure. The school’s owner has been arrested as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The disaster has prompted renewed concerns about building safety and oversight of private educational institutions in Pakistan, where some schools operate from buildings with inadequate infrastructure.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari described the incident as a devastating loss for the country, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a thorough investigation and expressed condolences to the affected families.
Authorities are investigating possible violations and seeking to establish responsibility for the collapse.
