KP Government Announces Compensation for Peshawar Dir Colony School Collapse Victims

What happened

Following the collapse of a private school building in Peshawar’s Dir Colony, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced financial compensation for victims. The compensation includes Rs1 million for the family of each person who died and Rs200,000 for each injured person [1, 2].

Regarding the incident details:

• The Al-Khair Education System was operating in the Saeedabad neighbourhood on a 16-marla plot [2].
• The plot is owned by local residents Waheed and Javed, and was reportedly leased in 2024 by Mufti Khan Muhammad and other stakeholders [2].
• Contractor Shah Zaman was hired to construct the building [2].
• The FIR alleges that substandard construction materials were used and that the ceilings of nursery classrooms on the second floor and Class 2 classrooms on the ground floor collapsed [2].
• The FIR also states that management allegedly ignored previous warnings from students regarding deteriorating walls and roofs [1, 2].

Casualty figures vary between reports. One source states 30 children and one female teacher died, with 52 people injured [1]. Another report cites 35 children and two female teachers who lost their lives, with 54 children injured [2]. Police stated approximately 110 children were present during the collapse [2]. Authorities are currently verifying the full extent of the casualties [2].

Investigation and legal actions:

• The school owner, Khan Muhammad, has been arrested over alleged construction defects [1].
• Police have registered an FIR against the school owners, shareholders, and the construction contractor [1, 2].
• Governor Kundi has called for investigators to determine who issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the building during the previous government’s term [1].
• The Governor stated investigations into the school owner and relevant departments would be completed within four days [1].
• The provincial Elementary and Secondary Education Department has formed a three-member committee to determine the causes of the collapse and recommend prevention measures [2].
• District-level inquiry committees have been established to inspect private school buildings across the province, focusing on roofs, walls, foundations, and structural safety [2].

Governor Kundi alleged that the previous government failed to conduct school audits, allowing safety concerns to go unchecked [1].

Who is affected

• Families of the children and teachers who lost their lives in the Dir Colony school tragedy [1].
• The 52 to 54 children who were injured in the collapse [1, 2].
• Private school owners, shareholders, and contractors involved in the construction of the Al-Khair Education System [1, 2].
• Private schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which will now undergo inspections by district-level inquiry committees [2].