At least 33 students and one teacher died after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Thursday morning. More than a dozen others were injured, some critically, according to hospital officials.

Emergency services were dispatched to the private Al-Khair school in Dir Colony at 08:48 local time (03:48 GMT), after lessons had begun. Rescue official Bilal Faizi reported that the upper-floor classroom roof gave way, pulling down ceilings in three classrooms below and trapping children beneath the debris.

Police chief Mian Saeed announced the arrest of the school’s owner and pledged a full inquiry into possible violations of building codes. He described the structure as having "substandard" roof slabs and being "overloaded" beyond its load capacity. The building, constructed on a narrow street, proved difficult for rescuers to access.

Lady Reading Hospital confirmed 32 child fatalities and one adult death; Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital reported an additional child death. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi ordered a provincewide safety audit of schools to identify risks and implement corrective measures.

Witnesses described chaotic rescue efforts. An English teacher from a nearby school said he and other residents pulled more than 20 children from the rubble, including six he extracted personally. "I saw a child whose tongue had dried up, asking for water," he said. Another resident noted the use of shovels to dig through debris.

The incident has drawn public outrage. Relatives of the victims accused the school of ignoring safety concerns, demanding accountability. In August, a fire at a neonatal unit in Islamabad killed 14 newborns, an inquiry found the facility lacked fire alarms and sprinklers.