PESHAWAR: Initial investigation report has been issued regarding the Peshawar School incident.
According to the details, following the tragic roof collapse at Al-Khair Public School located in Dir Colony, Peshawar, and the preliminary joint investigation into the Peshawar Dir Colony school roof collapse incident has been successfully completed, holding the school administration directly responsible.
Conducted jointly by five major departments—including Capital City Police, Metropolitan, Rescue 1122, and C&W—the report stated that the building was in an extremely weak condition and had suffered further severe damage from recent rains, yet the administration failed to take any proactive or effective measures to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The preliminary report has been submitted to the provincial government by rescue and district authorities.
According to the preliminary findings, the incident occurred in a side classroom on the lower level of the school where the roof from the third floor collapsed downward, with the roof height reported to be between 20 to 25 feet.
The investigation revealed that the upper-floor roof had become dilapidated due to rains, and students themselves had informed the school owner, Khan Muhammad, about the poor condition of the roof; nevertheless, children were still summoned to school.
The owner had only provided a temporary support prop to the vulnerable roof and still permitted students to attend classes, serving as the primary cause behind this tragic Peshawar Dir Colony school roof collapse incident.
The school owner has been taken into police custody, and further strict legal action is anticipated in light of this devastating Peshawar Dir Colony school roof collapse incident, while the school administration maintained that the building’s condition was satisfactory.
The final causes will be determined following further inquiries and evidence review to fully establish all legal and administrative aspects of the Peshawar Dir Colony school roof collapse incident.
Overview of Building Collapse Incidents in Pakistan Over the Past Two Years
Over the past two years, Pakistan has witnessed numerous heart-wrenching incidents of building collapses driven by heavy rains, substandard construction materials, and old or illegal structures, raising severe questions regarding safety measures in educational institutions and residential areas.
Particularly across various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh, incidents of roofs or walls collapsing in dilapidated schools, commercial markets, and residential houses have increased during monsoon and heavy rainfall seasons.
According to structural experts and disaster management authorities, the lack of annual fitness audits and timely maintenance of buildings in educational institutions frequently triggers such tragedies.
Due to lax enforcement of regulations in private schools and public structures, deteriorated structures are often overlooked, turning into death traps for children and citizens when natural disasters or severe rains strike.
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Following the recent Peshawar incident, public demand has intensified for district administrations and educational boards to conduct thorough inspections of dilapidated schools across the province and initiate strict disciplinary actions against unsafe structures to prevent such catastrophic events in the future.
