Pakistani authorities ordered regional school inspections on Friday after a classroom roof collapse killed at least 34 children and a teacher. The disaster occurred on Thursday at the private Al-Khair school in Peshawar, in the northeastern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The victims included 34 students aged 13 or younger, alongside a single teacher. Conflicting reports emerged about whether the upcoming evaluations will cover public schools or be limited to private institutions.
The provincial education department must submit its findings within three days. Buildings will be classified as safe, in need of repairs, or unsafe during the checks. Assessors will examine structural elements including roofs, ceilings, walls and staircases.
Police arrested Mohammad Khan, the owner of Al-Khair school, shortly after the mud and brick roof caved in. Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmed stated that the building was structurally weak. Khan told officers that recent rains had weakened the structure.
Bereaved families are demanding justice. Some relatives said they had warned Khan repeatedly about rainwater seeping into the classrooms.
Dozens of mourners gathered outside the school building on Friday to remember those who died. Relatives carried coffins for the funeral prayers of the students.
Construction standards in Pakistan are often poor, and builders commonly use substandard materials. A similar incident occurred in June when the roof of a private tutoring centre collapsed in the eastern city of Lahore, killing 14 people.
