A school roof collapsed during morning classes in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Thursday, killing a female teacher and at least 30 students, with some reports putting the number of dead children as high as 34. The toll differed between sources, and a hospital spokesperson first cited 33 deaths before giving a figure of 30 students and one teacher. More than 50 people were injured, and three children were reported to be in critical condition with head injuries.

The collapse happened at about 8:48am at the privately run Al-Khair School in the Afridi Abad area of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in north-western Pakistan. Rescue officials said the roof of an upper floor fell onto the classroom below, crushing two storeys. Around 110 students were reportedly in three classrooms at the time. Most victims were under 13 and came from low-income families. Rescue work lasted four to five hours, and television footage showed rescuers and residents digging through the debris with their bare hands. A resident said he saw 10 to 15 children trapped up to their necks in rubble. Lady Reading Hospital declared an emergency and received 61 people, about half of whom were later discharged.

Peshawar's police chief, Mian Saeed Ahmed, said the building had a weak structure and that its roof was overloaded with construction. He said the school owner had been arrested. Heavy rain may also have played a role, according to one report, but the exact cause is still under investigation. A father who lost two children told AFP that pupils had warned the administration earlier that morning that the building was showing signs of collapse; this has not been independently verified. Other relatives accused the school of ignoring concerns and demanded accountability.

The provincial governor announced compensation of 1 million rupees for bereaved families and 200,000 for the injured, and ordered a structural safety audit of schools across the province. Two inquiry committees have been formed, one of which must report to the chief secretary within seven days. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took "serious notice" and called for action against those responsible. Unicef urged strict enforcement of building standards, while the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called the collapse a "preventable failure" and demanded an independent, public inquiry. Thousands attended funeral prayers.

The disaster highlights a recurring problem. Building and roof collapses are common in Pakistan, often blamed on weak safety standards and poor materials. In June, 14 children died when the roof of a tuition centre collapsed in Lahore. Pakistan spends less than 1% of its GDP on education, leaving many families reliant on low-cost private schools that often operate from poorly maintained rented buildings with limited oversight. The tragedy also comes amid political tension in the province, where the president imposed a state of emergency on Sunday.