Pakistan orders school inspections after roof collapse kills 34 children
Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will assess school buildings after a classroom roof collapsed at Al-Khair school, killing 34 children and a teacher.
At a glance
- Pakistan ordered inspections of schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a roof collapse at Al-Khair school on Thursday.
- At least 34 children aged 13 or younger and one teacher were killed, and the school's owner was arrested.
- Bereaved families are demanding justice and say they had warned the owner about rainwater seeping into classrooms.
Authorities in Pakistan have ordered inspections of regional schools after the collapse of a classroom roof at Al-Khair school killed at least 34 children and a teacher, reports said on Friday.
The government directed the administration of the northeastern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to begin the checks following Thursday's incident. The victims were students aged 13 or younger, along with one teacher. The province's education department has been given three days to report its findings, according to The Associated Press news agency.
Dispute over scope
There are conflicting reports about whether the inspections will cover both public and private schools or only private schools.
Schools are to be classified as safe, in need of repairs or improvements, or potentially unsafe. Roofs, ceilings, walls and staircases are among the structures to be assessed.
Owner arrested
Police arrested Mohammad Khan, the owner of Al-Khair school, shortly after the roof of mud and bricks collapsed. Peshawar Police Chief Saeed Ahmed described the building as structurally weak, and said Khan had told officers that recent rains had weakened the structure.
Bereaved families are demanding justice. Some of the victims' relatives say they had repeatedly warned Khan about rainwater seeping into classrooms.
Dozens of mourners gathered outside the school on Friday to remember those who died.
Wider concerns
Construction standards in Pakistan are widely reported to be poor, and builders commonly use substandard materials. In June, the roof of a private tutoring centre in the eastern city of Lahore collapsed, killing 14 people.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- How many people died in the Al-Khair school roof collapse?
- At least 34 children aged 13 or younger and one teacher were killed when the mud-and-brick roof collapsed on Thursday.
- What inspections has Pakistan ordered after the collapse?
- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has been told to check schools and classify them as safe, in need of repairs or improvements, or potentially unsafe. The education department has three days to report its findings.
- Was anyone arrested over the school roof collapse?
- Police arrested Mohammad Khan, the owner of Al-Khair school, shortly after the collapse. A police chief said the building was structurally weak and that Khan told officers recent rains had weakened it.
