Peshawar School Tragedy: Roof of Three-Storey School Collapses in Deir Colony, Killing Dozens of Children and a Teacher

The roof of a privately run school collapsed during morning classes in Deir Colony, Peshawar, on Thursday 15 October, killing dozens of children and a teacher. Early reports, including the first version of this story, put the toll at 28 children and two teachers. Reuters, citing police and rescue officials, later reported that at least 34 schoolchildren and a female teacher had died.

About 110 students were attending lessons in three classrooms when a roof on a higher floor fell onto the classrooms below, crumpling two storeys of the building, a rescue official said. The Al-Khair Education Center is a low-cost private school in a crowded, low-income neighbourhood.

Rescue workers spent four to five hours pulling children from the rubble, regional rescue director Arif Khattak told Reuters, and soldiers helped at the site. At least 45 children were injured, from minor wounds to severe trauma, and three were in critical condition with head injuries.

Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said the building had a weak structure and that its roof had been overloaded with additional construction, which caused the collapse. Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital, gave the hospital's count of the dead to reporters.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the tragedy and offered condolences to the families of the victims, his office said.

This report was expanded and corrected on 1 November 2026. The figures follow Reuters' account of 15 October; casualty counts in a disaster like this can change, and we will update the story if officials publish a final toll.