PESHAWAR – A private school roof collapsed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 17 children and a teacher and leaving more than three dozen people injured, according to an emergency services official.
Several children were still trapped beneath the debris in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, emergency services spokesman Bilal Faizi said.
Mohammad Asim, a hospital spokesman, confirmed the deaths and injuries, adding that some of those hurt were in critical condition.
Rescue teams were clearing the collapsed structure in an effort to reach anyone still buried under the rubble.
The tragedy follows a similar incident in July, when a roof collapsed at a tutoring center under construction in Lahore, killing four schoolchildren.
Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often weakly enforced. Many buildings use substandard materials, while safety rules are frequently disregarded to cut costs.
