Rescue Operations End After Roof of Peshawar School Falls, Hundreds Injured
Rescue crews have finished the emergency response following the collapse of a school roof in Peshawar on Thursday. The incident caused a massive pile‑up of concrete and bricks, trapping 33 people—including 31 pupils and two teachers—under the debris. The death count stands at 33, while more than 50 individuals were injured, ranging from minor bruises to life‑threatening wounds.
Medical teams at Lady Reading Hospital received 53 children, primarily boys under 14 years old. After intensive treatment, seventeen were released, but thirty‑three children could not be saved. Hospital administrators declared an emergency and deployed senior trauma specialists to supervise the influx of patients.
Police have placed the school owner in custody and opened a case to investigate possible negligence. Early assessments point to inferior construction methods and a cramped building site that hindered rescue teams. The school had an enrollment of roughly 110 students. Pakistani army personnel arrived on the scene to aid civilian rescuers, helping to clear the collapse site. According to the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar, the operation is now complete and no further victims are believed to be trapped.
