Police have arrested the owner of a private school in Peshawar after a preliminary inquiry found that the roof whose collapse killed 35 people had been resting on temporary supports, despite warnings about its condition.
The preliminary report, prepared by Rescue 1122 and the district administration, has been sent to the provincial government. It found the third-floor roof gave way and declared the building unsafe. The other rooms had ready-made roofs, but the top-floor roof had weakened after rainfall.
According to the report, pupils had told the school owner about the roof’s state. Temporary support was put in place, yet children were still called to school that day. The district administration has declared the affected rooms and other parts of the building unsafe; the school’s registration is unconfirmed.
Police say substandard materials were used: T-iron beams and planks in the roof could not bear the weight placed on it. Between 110 and 115 children were inside when it fell. The rescue lasted four to five hours, and everyone trapped was eventually brought out.
The owner, Khan Muhammad, blamed several days of rainfall, saying the school had been built around a year and a half earlier and had about 350 pupils enrolled.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, expressed grief, and directed that the injured receive the best possible medical care. He also sought a full report and legal action against those responsible. The governor confirmed the arrest and said an investigation had begun.
The provincial education department has formed a high-level committee to investigate the causes and any negligence. The regional education secretary has directed the Private Schools Regulatory Authority to submit an incident report by Friday, October 16.
Relatives accused the school of ignoring concerns about the building. One relative who lost two nephews demanded that those responsible be made an example.
Thirty-five people, most of them children, died. Breakdowns varied slightly between outlets: Geo News reported 34 children and a teacher killed, while Aaj English reported 33 children and two female teachers.
Read our earlier report: Peshawar School Roof Collapse Kills 35, Mostly Children (https://okarapressclubokara.com/peshawar-school-roof-collapse-35-dead/).
