School roof collapse kills at least 29, injures more than 3 dozen in Pakistan

A volunteer clears the way for an ambulance transporting injured school children following a roof collapse at a private school in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Maaz Awan/AP hide caption

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The roof of a private school collapsed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 28 children and a female teacher and injuring more than 50 other people, a hospital spokesman said, as rescuers searched the rubble for anyone still trapped. Six girls were among the dead.

Several children were also trapped under the rubble in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the emergency services.

A hospital spokesman, Mohammad Asim, also confirmed the casualties, saying some of the injured were in critical condition. All the children killed or injured were age 13 or younger, he said. The hospital declared an emergency as medical staff treated the wounded.

Hours later, rescue officials said that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews were clearing the debris. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gov. Faisal Karim Kundi expressed sorrow over the collapse and sought a report from the relevant authorities about the cause of the collapse. He directed officials to provide the best possible medical care to the injured children.

Mahwish Zaman, an injured teacher speaking from a hospital bed, said that the three-story school had an estimated 1,200 students enrolled in nursery through fifth grade. She told The Associated Press that she was in her classroom when the roof collapsed and felt as if the sky had fallen. She regained consciousness in the hospital.

Rescue workers and volunteers take part in the rescue operation at the site of a roof collapse at a private school, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Maaz Awan/AP hide caption

According to witnesses, residents were among the first to reach the school in a congested neighborhood in central Peshawar. Rescue workers arrived within minutes of being alerted, according to accounts from the scene.