School roof collapses in Pakistan. Dozens of casualties reported
At the time of the incident, there were more than 100 students in the school.
School roof collapses in Pakistan, dozens killed
On October 15, dozens of students died as a result of the collapse of a private school roof in the city of Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan.
According to Reuters, 34 children, who were second and third-grade students, were trapped under the rubble at the time of the incident, and one teacher is also among the victims.
Another 50 people sustained injuries of varying severity, with several of them in critical condition.
According to hospital data, all of the dead and injured children were between 6 and 12 years old.
A spokesperson for the rescue service said the roof of the school's third floor collapsed onto the ceiling between the third and second floors, which then fell together onto the students in the classrooms.
Rescuers arrived at the scene within five minutes, and the search and rescue operation was completed a few hours later.
Peshawar Police Chief Mian Said reported that there were 110 students in the school. According to him, the school had been operating in an unsafe building. The owner of the school has been arrested; he blames the rain, which increased the load on the roof, for the incident.
The Associated Press noted that such building collapses occur frequently in Pakistan, as low-quality materials are often used in construction. However, today's tragedy became the largest in the country's history.
Local officials announced that a commission has been formed to investigate the causes of the incident.