Pakistan: Classrooms reduced to rubble in deadly school disaster, at leat 32 pupils killed

A school roof collapsed in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, on Thursday 15 October, killing at least 32 pupils and a teacher. Officials said the roof was structurally weak and had been overloaded by construction work. The school’s owner was arrested and an investigation launched.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene, where classrooms were left strewn with rubble, school bags, books and children's shoes. Injured pupils were taken by ambulance to Lady Reading Hospital, where medical staff treated survivors as distressed relatives gathered outside. Images from the school show abandoned belongings scattered across the floors, offering a stark glimpse of the devastation left behind by the collapse.

Peshawar’s police chief said the roof had been weakened by thebuilding’s poor structural condition and the weight of construction work. Heavy rain may also have played a role, but the exact cause remains under investigation.

Questions have emerged over whether the tragedy could have been prevented. A father who lost two children told AFP that pupils had reportedly warned the school administration earlier that morning that the building was showing signs of collapse. His account raises concerns about whether warning signs were overlooked before the roof gave way.

At the hospital in Peshawar, ambulances continued to bring in casualties as families waited for news of their loved ones. The circumstances surrounding the collapse and the reported warnings have yet to be independently established.