School roof collapses in Peshawar, owner arrested
The death toll continues to rise according to several local sources as authorities launch an investigation into building safety.
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Dozens of children and a teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Police have arrested the owner; reports differ over the exact number of casualties.
The roof of the Al-Khair School in the Dir Colony district collapsed on Thursday while classes were being held. The school was housed in a three-storey building in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Rescue workers pulled pupils and staff from the rubble and later said that no one was still missing.
The US news agency AP reported, citing authorities and a hospital spokesperson, that 28 children and a teacher had died. More than fifty people were reportedly injured. Pakistani media later reported higher figures: 29 pupils and a teacher, or even thirty deaths. The figures had therefore not yet stabilised during the day.
Police have arrested the owner of the school. Peshawar's police chief said, according to AP, that the building was structurally weak. That is a preliminary indication, not a judicially established finding on the cause or liability. The provincial government has appointed a commission to investigate the collapse and the structural condition of the building.
The injured were taken to hospitals, including Lady Reading Hospital, which declared an emergency. Hospital officials said some of the injured were in serious condition. The authorities have not publicly identified all the victims; the deceased pupils were minors and are therefore not being named.
The collapse has once again drawn attention to the enforcement of building regulations in Pakistan. AP writes that building collapses occur more frequently there and that regulations are not always properly enforced. That does not explain this specific disaster: the investigation into the construction, use of the building and any permits must first be completed.
The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has, according to local reports, ordered a broader safety inspection of educational institutions. Such an inspection could establish whether the problem was limited to one school or points to a wider shortfall in oversight. The practical implementation, scope and timetable of that inspection have not yet been publicly set out in detail.
For parents, pupils and staff, the case is above all a safety issue: education can only continue if buildings are fit for purpose and inspected. The owner's arrest is not proof of guilt. The commission and any criminal proceedings will have to establish who was responsible and what measures are needed to prevent similar collapses.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A private school building in Peshawar partially collapsed during school hours.
- Dozens of deaths and injuries have been reported.
- The owner has been arrested and an official investigation has been launched.
- Casualty figures differ between sources and at different times.
Left
Arguments This approach emphasises public responsibility for safe school buildings. Under this view, the state and provinces should actively inspect buildings, fund overdue maintenance and not leave educational institutions to the cheapest provider.
Values Equal opportunities, the protection of children and collective responsibility.
Consequences Higher public spending and stricter inspections may lead to schools being closed or delayed, but this perspective holds that they reduce the risk of families having to bear the cost of inadequate enforcement.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach calls for independent structural inspections, clear permits and proportionate measures based on risk. Owners, school boards and governments must each bear their share of responsibility, with due process following an incident.
Values Safety, practicality, legal certainty and continuity of education.
Consequences A targeted audit can quickly make risks visible, but it requires money, expertise and a plan for pupils if buildings are temporarily closed.
Right
Arguments This approach emphasises that private owners and school boards must comply with existing building regulations and should be capable of being held personally liable in cases of proven negligence. The government should primarily enforce the rules and not automatically take over the management of all institutions itself.
Values Individual responsibility, the rule of law and efficient government intervention.
Consequences Strict enforcement can exclude unscrupulous providers and improve safety, but this perspective holds that it should not lead to general bureaucracy or collective punishment of schools that do comply with the rules.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The main event and the arrest have been confirmed by AP and local reporting. As casualty figures changed during the day, the article transparently presents the differences between sources.
- confirmed The roof of a private school in Peshawar collapsed on 15 October. — AP and Dunya News describe the same collapse in Dir Colony. source
- confirmed The owner of the school has been arrested. — AP quotes Peshawar's police chief. source
- confirmed AP reported 28 children and a teacher dead. — This is the casualty count in the AP report. source
- confirmed Local media later reported higher casualty figures. — Dunya News later published a higher count. source
- confirmed The provincial government appointed an investigative commission. — AP writes that the provincial government formed a commission. source
- confirmed The police chief described the building as structurally weak. — AP attributes this characterisation to the police chief. source
Editor's note
The collapse, the owner's arrest and the investigation have been widely reported. The death toll and the breakdown between pupils and teachers differ by time and source; those differences have therefore been explicitly stated.Sources
- School roof collapse kills at least 29, injures more than 50 in Pakistan — Associated Press
- At least 30 killed in school roof collapse in Peshawar — Dunya News
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „pakistan peshawar”
- Trouw — „pakistan peshawar”
- NRC — „pakistan peshawar”