Authorities in Pakistan have ordered urgent safety inspections of regional educational institutions following a catastrophic roof collapse that claimed the lives of at least 34 children and a teacher. The deadly incident occurred at the private Al-Khair school in the northeastern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, triggering widespread outrage and grief among local communities.

Reports indicate that the provincial education department has been given a strict three-day deadline to report its comprehensive findings. Conflicting information remains regarding whether the mandated inspections will encompass both public and private institutions or exclusively target the private sector. Buildings are slated to be officially classified as structurally safe, in urgent need of repairs, or entirely unsafe, with structural engineers evaluating roofs, ceilings, walls, and staircases.

Law enforcement officials swiftly apprehended Mohammad Khan, the owner of the Al-Khair school, in the wake of the disaster. Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmed claimed that the building was inherently weak, adding that Khan allegedly attempted to deflect blame by pointing to recent heavy rains that purportedly further compromised the mud-and-brick structure. However, bereaved family members vehemently disputed this narrative, maintaining that they had repeatedly warned the administration about rainwater persistently seeping into classrooms.

The tragedy has once again cast a harsh light on Pakistan's notoriously poor construction standards and the widespread utilization of substandard building materials. This disaster follows a strikingly similar incident in June, when the roof collapse at a private tutoring center in the eastern city of Lahore resulted in 14 fatalities, highlighting systemic failures in regulatory oversight across the nation.

Source: www.aljazeera.com