The collapse of a school roof in Pakistan’s Peshawar city has claimed the lives of at least 18 students and a teacher, with at least a dozen more children injured in hospital
Eighteen pupils and a teacher have been killed after the roof of a school collapsed in Pakistan’s Peshawar city, according to a local hospital spokesperson. More than a dozen children were also rushed to hospital following the horrifying incident, with more believed to be trapped under rubble.
Some of those injured are reported to be in a critical condition, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim said in a statement.
The spokesperson said an emergency has been declared at the hospital as a result of the roof collapse. The children who were killed and injured were under the age of 13.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “profound shock and grief over the martyrdom and injuries of children and teachers in the tragic school incident in Peshawar”, adding: “This heart-wrenching tragedy has plunged the entire nation into shock.”
The statement on X read: “The President prayed for the swift and complete recovery of those injured in the incident” and “directed the relevant authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured.
“The President of the Republic also emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation to determine the causes of the incident and to ensure the safety standards of educational institution buildings to prevent such tragic events in the future.”
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