At least 29 children aged 13 or younger and a teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan's Peshawar city on Thursday, with more than 40 people injured, police and hospital officials said.
The incident occurred in Dir Colony in the inner city area of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Capital City Police chief Mian Saeed said.
The students and the teacher were brought dead to Lady Reading Hospital, hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim said. An emergency was declared at the facility to treat the injured, he added.
Rescue officials said 25 injured children had been taken to medical facilities. Rescue teams were clearing the debris and searching for students and school staff who might still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
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The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief over the loss of life and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed the authorities concerned to ensure they received the best possible medical treatment.