Authorities in northwestern Pakistan have ordered urgent safety inspections of private school buildings after a roof collapse at a school in Peshawar killed at least 34 children and a female teacher.
The tragedy occurred on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at Al-Khair Education Centre, a private school in the Dir Colony area of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Dozens of children were injured, some critically, when part of the building collapsed during morning classes.
According to Reuters, most of the children killed were under 13 years old. The disaster prompted an emergency rescue operation as parents and local residents gathered outside the school searching for their children.
The provincial government has launched an investigation into the collapse, while police have arrested the school’s owner.
Roof collapse traps pupils during morning lessons
The roof of an upper floor gave way during classes, causing part of the structure beneath it to collapse onto classrooms occupied by pupils.
Rescue workers, police officers, volunteers and local residents searched through the debris to reach those trapped.
Ambulances transported injured children to Lady Reading Hospital and other medical facilities, where emergency teams treated casualties.
Hospital spokesman Mohammad Asim said the dead included 12 girls and a female teacher.
Reports on the number of injured children varied as rescue and hospital officials updated casualty figures. Later Reuters reported the number injured as more than 55.
According to Al Jazeera, the school building had three storeys and included construction materials such as steel girders, mud bricks and wooden beams.
Emergency officials later said everyone believed to have been trapped beneath the rubble had been recovered.
The collapse left families mourning children who had gone to school earlier that morning.
Relatives say warnings about the building condition were ignored.
The disaster has raised concerns about the structural safety of the school and whether earlier complaints received adequate attention.
In a report published on Friday, 16 October, the Associated Press quoted relatives who said the building had shown signs of weakness before the collapse.
Some families described rainwater leaks and concerns about the condition of the roof.
The school’s owner, identified as Mohammad Khan, was arrested following the incident.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the collapse, including whether structural defects, maintenance failures, or negligence contributed to the deaths.
However, the relatives’ accounts remain allegations under investigation. The owner’s arrest does not establish criminal responsibility.
The inquiry will need to examine the building’s condition, any previous complaints, and whether appropriate safety measures were taken.
Provincial government orders private school inspections
Following the tragedy, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government ordered inspections of private school buildings across the province.
The order requires district-level committees to assess the condition of school infrastructure and submit their findings and recommendations within three days, according to AP.
Authorities have also encouraged parents and members of the public to report school buildings they believe may be unsafe.
The inspections are intended to identify structural risks and determine which facilities require repairs or other safety measures.
Separately, provincial authorities have directed technical teams to inspect government school buildings, with district reports due by 26 October.
The separate instructions reflect a wider effort to assess risks in both private and public educational facilities.
However, ordering inspections does not mean that all schools have already been examined or that identified problems have been resolved.
Earlier school collapse raises further concerns.
The Peshawar disaster follows another deadly building collapse at a private tutoring facility in Lahore earlier this year, which killed 14 children.
The two incidents have intensified concerns about the condition of buildings used for education and the effectiveness of safety checks.
School infrastructure requires regular assessment, particularly where buildings have been altered, expanded, or exposed to water damage.
But investigators must establish the specific causes of the Peshawar collapse before responsibility can be assigned.
Investigation and safety checks continue.
The immediate priorities are supporting affected families, treating injured children, and establishing what caused the school roof to collapse.
Authorities must also assess the condition of other school buildings to identify risks that could threaten pupils and staff.
The investigation has not yet produced a final public finding on criminal responsibility.
For families who lost children, the inquiry and the promised inspections will be important tests of whether the authorities can establish what happened and improve school safety.
