Peshawar school roof collapse: 28 killed, 27 of them students, as Al Khair School roof falls during class

At least 28 people, 27 of them students and one a female teacher, were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar on Thursday morning, 15 October 2026, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim said, Dawn reported. Nineteen people were injured, five of them critically. The toll rose through the morning from an early count of four, and reports still differ slightly: Geo News quoted the LRH administration as saying the bodies of 28 children and a teacher had been brought in, with 20 children injured.

What happened

• Where: Al Khair School, a private school in Peshawar's Afridi Abad locality, according to Dawn. Geo News placed it in the Dir Colony area.
• When: during morning classes. A parent told Dawn he got the call at about 8:50am PKT.
• How: the roof came down on classrooms full of students, trapping children and staff under the debris.
• Rescue: Rescue 1122 moved about 20 people, students and teachers, to hospital in the first hours. Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir later said all the debris had been cleared and no injured children were left at the site, and the operation ended.
• Hospital: LRH declared an emergency and received the dead and injured. Police set up a "green corridor" for ambulances on the orders of KP Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed.

No official cause has been given yet.

Arrest and inquiries

• School owner arrested: Peshawar CCPO Dr Mian Saeed said the owner of the school had been arrested, Geo News reported.
• Report by Friday: Provincial Education Secretary Inayatullah Waseem told the managing director of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) to submit a report by the next day.
• Governor: KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, whose office now runs the province under governor's rule, called it "an extremely painful tragedy", sought a detailed report on the cause and ordered the best possible care for the injured.
• President and PM: President Asif Ali Zardari called for a comprehensive investigation and said school buildings must meet safety standards. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered all possible medical help and faster relief, and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar said the PM had taken "serious notice".

Not the first this year

Building and roof collapses in Pakistan are often blamed on weak safety standards and poor materials. In June, 14 children were killed when a building housing a tuition centre collapsed in Lahore, Dawn noted.

What parents can do

• Ask the school: private schools in KP must be registered with the PSRA, and parents can ask the school for its registration and any building fitness certificate.
• Report a risk: cracks in a roof or wall, damp ceilings and heavy water tanks on old roofs are warning signs. Raise them with the school in writing and with the PSRA or the district education office.
• Help for families: the injured are at LRH. Hospitals in the city are listed in our Peshawar hospitals directory.

This story is developing and will be updated as officials confirm the cause and the final toll. Searchable does not publish the names of children.