ISLAMABAD: At least 27 students, most of them below the age of 13, and one teacher were killed on Thursday when a school roof collapsed while they were being taught in class in Pakistan's Peshawar city, authorities said, and feared the death toll could rise.
Most of the victims were brought dead to the Lady Reading Hospital, along with 20 others who were wounded, hospital spokesman Mohammad Asim said.
The private Al-Khair Education Center school is located in Dir Colony of the northern city.
"Rescue teams were working to shift bodies and the injured to hospitals," government official Bilal Faizi said.
A rescue official said the roof of a higher floor collapsed onto the roof of the first floor of the building, which in turn collapsed on students in classes.
Television visuals showed ambulances rushing to the scene and rescue workers retrieving bloodied students from the rubble.
"We have so far taken out at least 45 children from the rubble," district emergency officer Iftikhar Khan said.
"There are reports of more children being buried in the rubble," he added.