UPDATED: Pakistan school roof collapse kills dozens of children, teacher

A school roof collapse in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar has killed at least 32 children and a female teacher, while 45 others sustained injuries.

According to Reuters’ report published on Thursday, the incident occurred during morning lessons at the privately operated Al-Khair Education Center.

Rescue workers spent several hours searching through the debris for trapped pupils, while injured children were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. Most of the victims were reportedly under 13 years old.

Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed attributed the collapse to structural weakness, saying, “It was a weak building structure.”

He added that the roof was overloaded with construction on an inadequate structure, causing the building to collapse.

Authorities confirmed that the school’s owner had been arrested as investigations commenced into the incident.

The tragedy has renewed concerns about building safety and oversight of private schools in Pakistan, where some low-cost educational institutions operate from poorly maintained buildings.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to the affected families and called for assistance for the injured.