By The South Asia Times

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -  At least 28 people, including 27 students and a female teacher, were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday, hospital officials said.

Nineteen people were injured and rescue workers continued searching the rubble for survivors who may still be trapped beneath the debris, according to emergency services and hospital officials, according to daily Dawn.

Muhammad Asim, a spokesperson for Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, confirmed the death toll, which rose from an earlier figure of 21. Five of the injured were initially reported to be in critical condition, and the hospital declared an emergency to treat the victims.

The collapse occurred at Al Khair School in the Afridi Abad locality while students were attending classes, Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir told local media.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said emergency teams had recovered 40 people from the rubble. Rescue personnel were continuing to remove debris and search for anyone who might remain trapped.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately known. Authorities had not announced whether the building had undergone a safety inspection or whether an investigation had been launched.

Pakistan’s leaders express condolences

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed grief over the deaths, describing the loss of children as a tragedy for the entire country.

In a post on X, Dar offered condolences to the bereaved families and called for immediate assistance to those affected, the best possible medical care for the injured and stronger safety standards in schools to prevent similar incidents.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the loss of life and offered condolences to the families of those killed, according to a statement from his office.

Sharif directed authorities to accelerate rescue operations and ensure that the injured received all necessary medical treatment, the statement said.

The incident has raised urgent concerns about school building safety and the protection of children in Pakistan, where the cause of Thursday’s collapse remains under investigation.

As rescue efforts continued, officials had yet to provide a final account of the casualties or establish what caused the school roof to give way.