A devastating roof collapse at a school in Peshawar, northern Pakistan, resulted in the loss of at least 34 lives, with the majority of victims being children.
At least 34 lives were lost in separate incidents at two Peshawar hospitals, with 33 fatalities reported at the Lady Reading Hospital, including 32 children and a teacher, and a single child's death at the Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital.
A total of 19 individuals were injured in the incident, with five of them being listed in critical condition.
Footage from the scene depicted ambulances arriving at the private Al-Khair educational center in response to the emergency, as rescue teams worked to extract injured students from the wreckage.
A hospital spokesperson, Mohammad Asim, stated that the majority of the children treated at the Lady Reading Hospital sustained head injuries.
The affected children are reportedly in the age range of 6 to 12 years old.
The superintendent of police operations in Peshawar, Farhan Ahmed, described the school's condition as severely deteriorated.
Approximately 300 students were enrolled at the center, with roughly 100 of them attending the three schools that were impacted by the collapse.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his sympathies to those impacted by the crisis, directing the relevant authorities to provide necessary medical aid to affected families.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif emphasized the need for uncompromising safety measures in educational institutions, particularly concerning the welfare of children. He called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident by competent authorities to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Rescue efforts at the site of the collapsed school building have been deemed complete by authorities, despite the presence of remaining debris, a BBC journalist in Peshawar reported.
Regional Director Arif Khattak of Rescue 1122 stated to the BBC that upon his arrival at the scene, he noted the school was operating out of a non-permanent structure, suggesting it had been provisionally constructed.
An official from the rescue team reported that a structural failure occurred when the top floor deck gave way, resulting in a subsequent collapse of both levels of the roof.
A professor who was assisting emergency services at the scene reported rescuing six children from the rubble.
A local English teacher, who is also a resident near the public educational center where he works, responded promptly to the scene upon hearing the sirens and the arrival of ambulances.
Rescue teams successfully extracted over 20 children from the debris.
A rescue worker recounted the harrowing experience of evacuating six children, with the majority initially appearing to be alive and conscious, only to later be found deceased.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of significant bloodshed, with one child expressing intense pain.
An investigation has been initiated to identify the underlying cause of the incident.
Law enforcement officials have confirmed that the proprietor of the educational institution has been apprehended by authorities.
