At least 35 people were killed when a school roof collapsed in northwestern Pakistan.
A major tragedy occurred on Thursday in Peshawar—the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northwestern Pakistan—when the roof of a private educational institution, the 'Al-Khair Education Center,' collapsed, resulting in the deaths of at least 35 people.
Muhammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital—where most of the victims were taken—confirmed that the fatalities included 12 girls and a female teacher. He added that several of the injured are in critical condition.
According to Asim, the majority of the students who were killed or injured were between the ages of 6 and 12, with the oldest victim being 14 years old. Emergency medical protocols have been activated at the hospital, and medical staff are currently treating the injured.
Arif Khattak, Regional Director of the Rescue Operations Department, stated that at least 45 children sustained injuries, ranging from minor scrapes to severe trauma. Reporting from Islamabad, Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Hyder noted
that the three-story building was supported only by steel girders, unbaked bricks, and wooden beams. Television footage showed rescue workers pulling people from the debris and transporting injured children to ambulances, while a large crowd of local residents gathered in the narrow street adjacent to the school.
Following a rescue operation that lasted several hours, authorities confirmed that everyone trapped under the rubble had been successfully recovered. Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the emergency services, stated that approximately 100 rescue personnel participated in the operation, including parents who joined in voluntarily.
He noted that timely intervention helped prevent at least 40 additional fatalities, while more than a dozen children sustained minor injuries. Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmed announced the arrest of the school owner, stating that the building’s construction lacked structural integrity and failed to meet standard building codes.
According to police documents, the detained owner—identified as Muhammad Khan—attributed the roof collapse to recent rains; further investigation into the matter is underway
Bomb attack at Pakistan mosque kills at least 31 people
A faction of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) active in the region has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the news agency AFP, in Pakistan’s volatile northwestern region,
a suicide bombing at a mosque—followed by an armed clash—has left at least 31 people dead, including 16 law enforcement personnel, and many others injured.
In the city of Kohat—located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border—a vehicle packed with explosives was driven into the entrance of a mosque situated within the police headquarters compound, just as worshippers were gathering for Friday prayers.
A faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known as the TTP, has claimed responsibility for the attack. 'Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen'—linked to Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur—has asserted that it carried out the suicide bombing.
Provincial Police Chief Zulfiqar Hameed has confirmed the suicide attack. Following the blast, armed individuals attempted to enter the police compound, leading to an armed confrontation with security forces.
According to the news agency DPA, Dr. Tahir Shah stated that at least 15 bodies and over 50 injured individuals have been brought to the hospital.
Sources have informed Al Jazeera that at least 75 people have been injured. According to the Associated Press (AP), a senior rescue official, Bilal Faizi, stated that the majority of the injured are worshippers.
The mosque has sustained severe damage, and the outer wall of the police station has also collapsed. Local residents reported that the sound of the blast could be heard from a considerable distance. Reporting from Islamabad, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder stated
that at least six attackers were killed during the clash. He added that Pakistan alleges the Afghan Taliban are allowing the TTP and other organizations to launch attacks from Afghan soil—
a claim that authorities in Kabul reject. Kohat is situated near the Afghan border. It is a city of strategic importance, lying on the route toward the volatile North Waziristan region; it also sits along the corridor leading to Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan. In recent months, we have witnessed several deadly attacks. read more
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