At least 34 people have been killed after the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan, with most of the victims reported to be children under the age of 13.
According to Mohammad Asim, spokesperson for Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, at least 19 others have sustained injuries.
The incident occurred at the Al-Khair school in the Dir Colony neighbourhood, prompting an extensive rescue operation as emergency workers and residents searched through the rubble for survivors.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the school’s location on a narrow street, where only one vehicle could pass at a time, making it difficult to evacuate the injured.
Police have arrested the school’s owner as investigations continue into the condition of the building and the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The tragedy has sparked shock across the country, with the office of Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, describing the incident as a devastating national loss.
In a statement, the presidency said, “this heart-wrenching tragedy has plunged the entire nation into shock.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says there will be a “thorough investigation” into the incident.
“My heart is with the families grieving the loss of their children and a teacher in the tragic roof collapse at a school in Peshawar. No parent should have to endure such pain,” he added in a social media post.
