Rescue teams continue to search the debris for victims.
The roof of a school in northwestern Pakistan collapsed Thursday, killing at least 31 people and injuring dozens more, according to local authorities.
Rescue personnel searched the rubble for several more children who are believed to still be trapped under the debris at the school, which was located in Peshawar, the capital of a northern province of the country, according to Bilal Faizi, an emergency services spokesperson.
A rescuer carries a child during a search operation after a roof collapsed at a school in Peshawar, October 15, 2026.
Abdul Majeed/AFP via Getty Images
All of the children who died were 13 years old or younger, and some of the injured are in critical condition, Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital, said.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse. According to police, the building was constructed with weak materials and was holding excessive weight.
Rescue workers and residents gather after a school roof collapse in Peshawar, Pakistan, October 15, 2026.
Reuters
The owner of the building was arrested and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
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Peshawar Police Chief Mian Saeed said 110 students were at the school when it collapsed.
A view of the collapsed classroom roof at a private school in Dir Colony, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, October 15, 2026.
Bilawal Arbab/EPA/Shutterstock
Residents first arrived at the school after the collapse, which is located in a densely populated central area of the city, followed by rescue teams who reached the scene within minutes of being notified, according to witnesses.
Officials initially said 33 people died, but later revised the number to 31.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.