पाकिस्तानमा विद्यालयको छत खस्दा २९ जनाको मृत्यु
Peshawar, October 15:
At least 29 people, including 28 children and a female teacher, were killed on Thursday when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan. The tragic incident also left over 50 others injured, with some reported to be in critical condition, according to hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim.
All of the affected children were aged 13 or under. Following the disaster, an emergency was declared at local hospitals to handle the influx of casualties. Rescue workers immediately deployed to clear the debris and pull trapped survivors from the wreckage.
According to injured teacher Mahvish Zaman, approximately 1,200 students ranging from nursery to grade five were enrolled in the three-story school building. She recalled feeling as though the sky had collapsed on top of them while they were inside the classroom, after which she regained consciousness in the hospital.
Local residents and emergency responders rushed to the scene. Local resident Samiullah Khan assisted in rescuing three young girls, noting that his own son survived only because he had stepped out of the classroom to get a drink of water. Anxious parents gathered in large numbers at the scene and hospitals to check on their children.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the disaster. Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmad confirmed that the school owner has been arrested and noted that the building structure was fundamentally weak. The provincial government has formed a committee to investigate the collapse.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed profound grief and extended their condolences to the bereaved families. President Zardari called for a thorough investigation and strict enforcement of safety standards across school buildings.
A similar incident occurred in July in Lahore, where four students died when the roof of an under-construction learning center collapsed. Building collapses remain frequent in Pakistan due to weak enforcement of construction standards, use of substandard materials, and widespread disregard for safety regulations.
RSS/Unified Nepal
