SCHOOL ROOF COLLAPSE IN PESHAWAR KILLS AT LEAST 17 CHILDREN

A school roof collapsed in Peshawar, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least 17 students under the age of 13 and one teacher, according to a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital. Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim said the bodies were brought to the hospital alongside more than a dozen people injured in the collapse. The cause of the collapse had not been established at the time of reporting. A separate report from Sky News put the death toll at 10 children. Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the emergency services, said several children remained trapped under rubble, with rescue teams working to clear debris to reach them.

The collapse follows a similar incident in July, when a roof fell at a tutoring centre under construction in Lahore, killing four schoolchildren. Building collapses occur periodically in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced, according to the report. Many structures in the country are built using substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently disregarded in order to cut costs, the report said. No details of a planned investigation into the Peshawar collapse were available at the time of reporting.

Rescue operations were continuing in Peshawar as emergency services worked to free those still trapped. The full extent of casualties, including both deaths and injuries, had not been finalised as search efforts continued. No official cause had been confirmed, and no statement on accountability or further action had been issued by authorities at the time of reporting.