A devastating tragedy struck the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, where the roof of a private school collapsed, resulting in the deaths of numerous young students and leaving many others injured.

According to reports from Reuters, 34 children—primarily second and third-grade students—were trapped and killed under the rubble. The fatalities also included at least one teacher who was present at the scene during the incident.

Furthermore, approximately 50 individuals sustained injuries of varying severity, with several victims currently reported to be in critical condition. Hospital officials confirmed that all the affected children were between the ages of 6 and 12.

Emergency services explained that the third-floor roof caved in, crashing down onto the lower structures and burying the students inside their classrooms. Although rescue teams arrived swiftly, the structural failure caused catastrophic damage.

Peshawar Police Chief Mian Said stated that the school had been operating in a structurally weak building housing over 100 pupils. The owner of the establishment has been taken into custody, though he purportedly attempted to blame heavy rainfall for the structural failure. Local authorities have established a special commission to investigate the causes of the disaster.

Source: kun.uz