Peshawar, October 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
At least 17 children and a female teacher were killed and more than 30 others injured after the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan’s Peshawar city on Thursday, triggering an emergency rescue operation.
Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim confirmed the casualties and said an emergency had been declared at the hospital. The injured were receiving treatment, with some reported to be in critical condition.
Asim said all the children killed in the incident were aged 13 years or younger.
Following the collapse, ambulances and disaster response vehicles rushed to the site, where rescue teams launched an operation to locate and evacuate those trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue 1122 personnel provided first aid to more than eight injured children before shifting them to hospital.
The rescue operation was continuing, with fears that additional people could still be trapped under the debris and the death toll could rise.
The incident has again drawn attention to building safety concerns in Pakistan, where roof and structural collapses have repeatedly resulted in fatalities.
In August, a couple was killed and their daughters injured after the roof of their house collapsed in Islamabad following three days of heavy rainfall.
Earlier in June, 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in the Kahna area of Lahore. Less than two months before that incident, a classroom roof collapsed at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan, killing four children and injuring 20 people.
In another incident in June, a labourer was killed and three others injured when the roof of an under-construction building collapsed in Khawaspur locality of Punjab’s Gujrat district.
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