FIR registered against Peshawar school owners and contractor after roof collapse

What happened

A roof collapse at a school in Peshawar’s Dir Colony resulted in a mass casualty incident on a Thursday while classes were in progress [2, 4]. The collapse involved the second-floor nursery classroom and rooms on the ground floor [2].

According to the first information report (FIR) registered at Agha Mir Jani Shah police station, the incident was recorded on behalf of the state under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for ‘qatl-bis-sabab’ [2]. The FIR alleges that the school building was in a dilapidated condition and that substandard construction materials were used [2, 4]. It also states that previous complaints regarding deteriorating walls and roofs were ignored by management [2]. The school was built on a 16-marla plot owned by Waheed and Javed, which was reportedly acquired on lease in 2024 [2, 4].

While school owner Khan Muhammad attributed the collapse to several days of rainfall, a police investigation officer stated the owner had been arrested regarding the alleged use of substandard materials [2].

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi visited the site and announced a four-day inquiry to determine the facts [4]. He stated the investigation would look into who issued the school’s No Objection Certificate (NoC) and criticized the lack of school audits by the previous administration [4].

Who is affected

• Casualties: Death toll reports vary. One source states 30 children and one female teacher died [2], while another reports 33 children and two female teachers died, totaling 35 deaths [4]. A third source mentions 33 children and one female teacher died [3].
• Injured: 52 people were reported injured [2, 4]. Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) received 33 deceased victims and 20 injured people on the day of the incident; the hospital spokesperson, Muhammad Asim, stated all injured victims from the school have since recovered and been discharged [4].
• Students: The children involved were aged between 7 and 13 years [4].
• Financial Assistance: The Governor announced Rs1 million for the family of each deceased child and Rs200,000 for each injured child [3, 4].
• Legal Action: The FIR names the school owners, shareholders, and the construction contractor [2, 4]. Police are working to arrest the named suspects [2].