A school roof has collapsed in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 28 people, including schoolchildren and a teacher, and leaving dozens of others injured, according to hospital officials and news agencies.

The incident occurred on Thursday, October 15, at the privately run Al-Khair school in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Initial reports said 27 pupils and a teacher had died, while more than 30 people were injured. Subsequent reports from the Associated Press put the death toll at at least 29, including 28 children and one teacher, indicating that casualty figures were still being updated as rescue operations progressed.

Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, confirmed the casualties, saying the injured included children, some of whom were in critical condition. The hospital declared an emergency to accommodate those affected by the collapse.

Emergency responders and local residents rushed to the school after the structure gave way while classes were in session.

Rescue teams searched through the rubble for pupils and staff who might have been trapped beneath the debris. Officials said several children were among those recovered and taken to nearby hospitals.

The school is a private institution in Peshawar’s Dir Colony area. Reports said the building accommodated pupils from nursery through primary school, many of them younger than 13.

Parents and relatives gathered at the school and hospital seeking information about children caught in the collapse.

Authorities have ordered an investigation to establish what caused the building to collapse.

Peshawar police chief Saeed Ahmed said the school’s owner had been arrested. He described the building as structurally weak, although the investigation is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the collapse.

Officials have not yet published a final technical assessment of the structure or identified the precise cause of the failure.

Pakistan has experienced repeated building and roof collapses, with poor construction standards and inadequate enforcement of safety regulations frequently cited as contributing concerns.

Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, expressed condolences to the families of those killed and called for action following the tragedy.

Authorities have also directed health officials to provide treatment to the injured.

Rescue and recovery efforts continued as officials worked to establish the final number of casualties and determine whether any additional safety violations contributed to the disaster.