Peshawar School Roof Collapse: Children Trapped as Rescue Operation Continues
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — October 15, 2026: A private school building collapsed in Peshawar’s Dir Colony on Thursday, killing students and a teacher and injuring several others, while rescue teams continued searching the rubble for people who may still be trapped.
Reuters, citing a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), reported that at least 17 students and one teacher had died. HUM News also reported 18 deaths in total and said more than 17 injured people had been shifted to the hospital. However, casualty figures differed across news reports as the incident developed.
Rescue 1122 teams were dispatched to the site and began search-and-rescue operations. Earlier information from the emergency service said more than 10 children had received first aid and been taken to hospitals, with several others feared trapped beneath the debris.
According to reports, the injured included students and teachers. Medical personnel at Lady Reading Hospital received casualties from the incident, while rescue workers continued efforts to locate anyone remaining under the collapsed structure.
The cause of the collapse had not been immediately established. Authorities had yet to confirm whether structural weakness, construction work or another factor contributed to the incident.
The tragedy has renewed concerns over the safety of school buildings and the need for effective inspections of educational facilities. However, responsibility for this particular collapse cannot be established until an official investigation determines the circumstances.
Pakistan has witnessed other fatal building and classroom roof collapses in recent months. In June, 14 children died when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area. In May, four children were killed and 20 people were injured in a classroom roof collapse at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan, according to previous reporting by Dawn.
The immediate priority in Peshawar remained the rescue operation and medical treatment of the injured. Further confirmed information about the victims, the building’s condition and the cause of the collapse is expected as authorities provide updates.
This is a developing story. Casualty figures and other details should be updated only after confirmation from hospital authorities or official rescue and district administration statements.
