PESHAWAR: Official sources have revealed alarming lapses regarding the tragic school building collapse in Peshawar, which resulted in significant casualties. According to details, the private educational institution was registered with the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) as recently as March 2026, despite the building being in a dilapidated condition.
In a briefing regarding the regulatory gaps, KP-PSRA Managing Director Javed Iqbal stated that the authority lacks a dedicated technical inspection team to evaluate building integrity. He noted that the school was approved after meeting standard administrative and classroom criteria, adding that while the authority possesses the power to fine dilapidated structures, it lacks the legal mandate to shut them down independently.
Peshawar School Building Collapse: Tragedy Details and Rescue Operations
The three-storey school building, situated in a densely populated area, suffered a catastrophic structural failure when the upper floor classroom structure caved in on the ground floor during morning classes.
According to the official inquiry report submitted by the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar to the Commissioner Peshawar Division:
The rescue control room received an alert at 8:48 AM, and the initial rescue team arrived at the scene within seven minutes to launch emergency operations.
Over 100 rescue personnel, alongside two disaster response units, participated intensively in the operations to clear rubble and extract trapped children.
Injured students were rushed to Lady Reading Hospital and Nasirullah Baber Hospital. Together, the facilities received 89 casualties, recording 34 fatalities, while 52 patients were discharged after receiving emergency first aid.
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The report confirmed that the exact root cause of the collapse remains under investigation, and a comprehensive technical inquiry has been ordered to ascertain accountability.
