PESHAWAR: The authorities have directed the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) to prepare comprehensive safety regulations for private educational institutions to ensure the protection of students, ARY News reported.
According to a notification, the proposed regulations will cover the structural safety of school buildings, compliance with building codes and regular safety inspections.
The rules will also set limits on the number of students allowed in classrooms and include measures to prevent overcrowding. Emergency exits and procedures for evacuating students will also be part of the regulations.
The PSRA has been directed to prepare the draft regulations in consultation with relevant technical institutions to ensure that safety standards are properly addressed.
The authority will submit the draft regulations and its recommendations to the Education Department within seven days.
The decision to prepare the safety regulations follows an incident in which the roof of a private school collapsed.
Earlier, at least 35 children and two schoolteachers were killed and 52 others injured after a school roof collapsed in the Dir Colony area of Peshawar.
According to initial reports, the incident resulted in multiple casualties, with the death toll reaching 35. A total of 52 people have sustained injuries.
According to Dr Shafique, 33 bodies were brought to Lady Reading Hospital and two were moved to Naseerullah Babar Hospital.
SP Peshawar City said rescue operations are continuing following a school roof collapse.
The police official said authorities were gathering details to determine the total number of children enrolled at the school. Preliminary information indicated that around 75 children had been present in three classrooms.
The injured were shifted to hospitals, while rescue teams are making efforts to evacuate the children as quickly as possible, the SP City said. However, narrow streets in the area created difficulties for rescue teams and hampered the operation.