School roof collapse kills at least 28, injures more than 3 dozen in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The roof of a private school collapsed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 27 children and a female teacher and injuring more than three dozen other people, a hospital spokesman said, as rescuers searched the rubble for anyone still trapped. Several children remained trapped under the rubble in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the emergency services. A hospital spokesman, Mohammad Asim, also confirmed the casualties, saying some of the injured were in critical condition. All the children killed or injured were age 13 or younger, he said. The hospital declared an emergency as medical staff treated the wounded. Rescuers said that they were removing debris to reach those trapped. According to witnesses, residents were among the first to reach the school in a congested neighborhood in central Peshawar. Rescue workers arrived within minutes of being alerted, according to accounts from the scene. A resident, Mohammad Khan, said rescuers carefully removed debris, trying to reach children and staff f