The death toll in the tragic roof collapse at a private school in Peshawar’s Deir Colony has risen to 29, including six female students and two teachers. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Mian Saeed confirmed that more than 40 people were injured in the accident. Police have arrested the private school owner over negligence and illegal construction.

The collapsed school building was three storeys high. The administration has also formed an inquiry committee to investigate the incident and determine the actual causes of the roof collapse. It has been reported that the private school had been established in a residential house where hundreds of children far exceeding the building’s capacity were studying.

To accommodate more students, the school administration had constructed weak and substandard roofs on the upper floor. Unable to bear the weight, they collapsed, causing the roof of the lower floor to cave in under the debris and resulting in the heavy loss of life.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)