Islamabad, Oct 15: At least 31 children and two female teachers were killed and over 50 others injured after the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan's Peshawar, local media reported, citing local Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).
According to LRH, 53 children were taken to the hospital, majority of them boys. Among those, 33 died while 17 were discharged from the hospital after observation. All the children were aged 14 years or below, Pakistani daily The Express Tribune reported.
LRH spokesperson Muhammad Asim said that an emergency was declared at LRH and senior hospital officials were present in the trauma ward to oversee the treatment of the injured people, including some in critical condition.
Speaking to reporters, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mian Saeed said that the owner of the school has been taken into custody and a case will be lodged over the incident, The Express Tribune reported.
Saeed said the roof of the school had been poorly constructed and the building was located in narrow streets, which created difficulties for rescue operations. He said that 110 children were enrolled in the school.
Pakistan army personnel reached at the site of the incident and joined rescue and relief agencies in conducting operations to find children and staff feared trapped under the debris.
Reports suggest that roof and building collapses are a recurring problem in Pakistan, where weak safety enforcement and substandard construction materials have repeatedly contributed to such tragedies.
In August, a couple was killed, and their daughters injured after the roof of their house collapsed in Islamabad following three days of heavy rainfall, Dawn had reported.
In July, at least 11 people were killed and six others injured after a three-storey building collapsed in Harbanspura town of Pakistan's Lahore.
According to the spokesperson, three brothers lived in the building with their families while their sister and her children were there for birthday celebrations, just before the building collapsed. Lahore DC retired Captain Muhammad Ali Ijaz had ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
In June, as many as 14 children were killed after the roof of a private tuition centre in the Kahna area of Pakistan's Lahore, Dawn reported.
The incident took place less than two months after four children were killed and 20 people were injured after the roof of a classroom at a private school collapsed in Dera Ghazi Khan city of Pakistan's Punjab.
--IANS