A private school roof collapsed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 28 children and a teacher and injuring more than three dozen others, an emergency services official said.
Several children remained trapped under the rubble in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the emergency services.
A hospital official, Mohammad Asim, also confirmed the casualties, saying some of the injured were in critical condition. Rescuers said they were removing debris to reach those still trapped.
A Recurring Tragedy
The disaster is the latest in a series of building failures to strike Pakistan. In July, a roof collapsed at a tutoring centre under construction in Lahore, killing four schoolchildren.
Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to reduce costs.
Rescue Effort Underway
Emergency teams continued working at the scene in Peshawar, clearing rubble in an effort to reach survivors. Authorities have not yet commented on the cause of the collapse or whether an investigation will be launched.
This is a developing story, and further updates are expected as rescue operations continue.
