School roof collapse kills 21 students in Pakistan, renews concerns over building safety

Residents gather during a search operation after a roof collapsed at a school in Peshawar on October 15, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Thursday, 15 Oct 2026 3:33 PM MYT

PESHAWAR, Oct 15 — Twenty-one pupils and a teacher were killed yesterday after a roof collapsed at a school in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar, a hospital official said.

Asim Khan from Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital confirmed the toll to AFP, adding that over 30 people were injured, with six believed to be in a critical condition.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a statement expressed “deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives”.

“The Prime Minister extends his condolences to the bereaved families and prays for them to have the strength and patience to bear this irreparable loss,” the statement said.

Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and shoddy construction materials in the South Asian country of more than 240 million people.

In June this year more than a dozen children were killed in a roof collapse at a tutoring centre in the eastern city of Lahore.

In 2025, 27 people were killed and 10 injured when a five-storey building collapsed in the impoverished area of Lyari in the southern city of Karachi. — AFP