The key facts

  • The roof of a private school in Peshawar collapsed onto a classroom; according to sources, between 32 and 34 children and a teacher were killed, and more than 30–50 people were injured
  • The rescue operation lasted about four hours; it was reported that children might have remained under the rubble
  • The police chief cited the poor condition of the building and the load from construction work as likely causes; the authorities set up an investigation commission

Collapse and casualties

On October 15, 2026, in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the roof of a private school collapsed. According to Asim Khan, an employee of Lady Reading Hospital, who confirmed the figures to AFP, at least 32 students and a teacher were killed, more than 30 people were injured, and six were in critical condition. The Russian-language version of Euronews reported at least 34 children and a female teacher killed, more than 50 injured, and three children in serious condition; among the victims were 12 girls. According to the province's rescue service, the roof collapsed onto students in a classroom, crushing two floors beneath it.

Rescue operation

Rescue service spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi said that one floor slab collapsed onto another, crushing the classroom and burying the children. He noted fears that children might still be under the rubble and said that 16 ambulances, two emergency response vehicles and more than 60 personnel had been dispatched to the scene. According to the Russian-language version of Euronews, rescuers pulled all survivors from the rubble; the operation lasted four hours. The injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital, where medics provided assistance while relatives gathered outside.

Likely causes and investigation

The Peshawar police chief said the floor slabs had been weakened by the poor condition of the building's structures and the load from construction work; heavy rains may also have played a role, but the exact cause is being determined. A resident, Sher Ahmed, blamed substandard building materials and called for a thorough investigation. The provincial government announced the creation of a commission to investigate the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible.

Reports of warnings

A father who lost two children told AFP that, according to media reports, students had warned the school administration on the morning of the incident about signs of a possible collapse of the building. This raised questions about whether the tragedy could have been prevented. The circumstances of the collapse and the reports of warnings have not yet been confirmed by independent sources.

Officials' reaction

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and offered condolences to the families of the victims. President Asif Ali Zardari called the collapse a "heartbreaking tragedy" and said the entire nation shares the grief of the affected families.

Context

Building collapses are not uncommon in Pakistan due to weak enforcement of building codes and the use of substandard materials. According to Euronews, in June 2026 more than a dozen children were killed when the roof of a learning center collapsed in Lahore (the Russian-language version reported four schoolchildren killed in July), and in 2025, 27 people were killed and 10 injured when a five-story building collapsed in the Lyari district of Karachi.