Peshawar, Oct 16 (PTI): Police on Friday registered a case against the owners, shareholders and contractor of a private school in Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where a roof collapse killed at least 35 people and injured 52 others, as authorities launched an inquiry into the tragedy.
The case was registered at Peshawar’s Agha Mir Jani Shah Police Station under Sections 148, 149 and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, according to the First Information Report (FIR), after the school roof collapse on Thursday killed 34 children and a teacher.
The FIR names the school’s owners, shareholders and the contractor responsible for the construction of Al-Khair Education System in Peshawar’s Dir Colony. The school was built on 16 marlas of land owned by Waheed and Javed, which was leased in 2024 before construction began, the FIR said.
According to the FIR, the roofs of a nursery classroom on the building’s second floor and rooms on the ground floor collapsed in the incident. It alleged that substandard construction materials were used and that the school administration had ignored earlier complaints from students about the deteriorating condition of the building’s walls and roofs.
The school owner was arrested on Thursday, while police said efforts were underway to arrest other suspects named in the case.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary has formed a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the collapse and submit its report within seven days.
The committee will examine the building’s structural integrity, construction quality and safety arrangements, besides investigating possible negligence and recommending legal and administrative action against those found responsible.
The provincial transport secretary will head the committee, while Chief Engineer of the Communication and Works Department Jamshed Ali Khan will serve as its member, according to sources.
The provincial government will also develop a mechanism to assess the safety of government and private school buildings across the province.
It has announced compensation of PKR 10 lakh (Rs. 3.42 lakh) for the family of each deceased victim and Rs 2 lakh for each injured student.
Building and roof collapses are common in Pakistan and are often attributed to poor safety standards and the use of substandard construction materials.
In July, three girls, aged between 3 and 13, were killed after a portion of the outer wall of a government primary school in Sindh province collapsed and the rubble fell on them.
The same month, a child died, and five other people were injured after the roof of an under-construction private school building collapsed in Lahore.
In June, 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore.
The incident had come less than two months after four children were killed and 20 people injured after the roof of a classroom at a private school collapsed in Dera Ghazi Khan district.
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