At least 17 killed as school roof collapses in Peshawar

At least 17 killed as school roof collapses in Peshawar.

Key points

• Manzoor Ali Published October 15, 2026 Updated October 15, 2026 11: 16am.
• Earlier, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi remarked rescue personnel had transported around 20 residents, including students and teachers, to hospitals.
• Manzoor Ali is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with over 15 years of experience covering governance, climate, and the economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim, in an official note, remarked 17 students were killed in the incident.
• In June, 14 children lost their lives when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore's Kahna area.

Manzoor Ali Published October 15, 2026 Updated October 15, 2026 11: 16am. Join our Whatsapp Channel.

PESHAWAR: At least seventeen students have been killed as the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar's Dir Colony on Thursday.

Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim, in an official note, remarked 17 students were killed in the incident. An emergency has been declared at the hospital, Asim remarked. "All the children are aged thirteen and under, " he continued.

Earlier, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi remarked rescue personnel had transported around 20 residents, including students and teachers, to hospitals. Four individuals had died in the incident, he stated at the time, citing LRH. A rescue operation was underway.

According to Another statement by the agency earlier, more than 10 children had been provided first aid and taken to hospitals. It continued that a number of children were feared trapped under the rubble.

Roof and building collapses are common throughout Pakistan, mainly due to poor safety standards and the apply of substandard construction materials in the country.

In July, three girls, aged 3 to 13, were killed after a portion of the outer wall of a administration primary school near Umerkot collapsed and the rubble fell on them.

Meanwhile, the same month, a child died, and at least five other individuals were injured after the roof of an under-construction private school building collapsed in Lahore's Baghbanpura neighbourhood.

In June, 14 children lost their lives when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore's Kahna area. The incident had come less than two months after four children were killed and 20 individuals injured after the roof of a classroom at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan collapsed.

In practice, a probe into the DG Khan incident made public that construction for an extension of the tuition centre's building was under way when the roof of the classroom collapsed.

Last week, two men died in Pakpattan after the roof of their house collapsed during heavy rain and a windstorm.

In June, a labourer was killed, and three others were injured when the roof of an under-construction building collapsed in Khawaspur locality of Lalamusa, Gujrat. The same month, two individuals were injured after the roof of a house collapsed in Lahore's Nishtar area. In August, a couple was killed, and their daughters were injured after the roof of their house in Shahzad Town, Islamabad, collapsed after three days of heavy rainfall.

Manzoor Ali is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with over 15 years of experience covering governance, climate, and the economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He can be discovered on X at @Manzoor.

Taken together, the developments around at least 17 killed as school roof collapses in Peshawar point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.