Dubai: Pakistan cricket stars Babar Azam, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan have expressed grief after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, killing dozens of children and a teacher.
The tragedy occurred at the Al-Khair Education Centre in Dir Colony on Thursday, October 15. At least 30 children and a female teacher were reported dead, while dozens of others were injured. The collapse brought down parts of the multi-storey building during morning classes. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Babar, who has often spoken of his connection with Peshawar, shared his condolences on social media.
“Devastated by the news from Dir Colony. I have always felt a special connection with this city and today I stand with the people of Peshawar in their grief,” he wrote on X.
“May Allah grant the departed souls the highest place and give their families the strength to bear this loss. Ameen.”
Former Pakistan captain Afridi also paid tribute to the victims, referring to the school collapse alongside a train accident near Multan.
“The loss of innocent children and blameless people in this way is an immense sorrow. In this difficult time, all my sympathies and prayers are with them,” Afridi said, praying for strength for the bereaved families.
Rizwan called for greater accountability over school safety, saying the tragedy must not be repeated.
“We owe our children safer schools. Such tragedies must never happen again,” he wrote, while praying for the victims and recovery of the injured.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood also stressed the need to improve safety standards in public buildings, including schools and hospitals.
“It’s absolutely imperative that we take more care of our infrastructure of hospitals, schools and other public buildings,” Mahmood said, extending his condolences to families who lost loved ones.
The incident has renewed concerns about building safety and the need for proper inspections to prevent similar tragedies.