Pakistan school roof collapses in Peshawar, killing almost 30 young students and a teacher

October 15, 2026 / 5:03 AM EDT / CBS News

Islamabad — Almost 30 students and a teacher were killed Thursday when the roof of a private school collapsed in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, local officials said.

The bodies of 17 children were brought to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in the city following the incident, in addition to the body of a female teacher, Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for the hospital told CBS News, adding that some survivors were also admitted in critical condition.

At least 29 people were killed in total after the collapse at the Al-Khair Education Center in Peshawar's southwest Dir district, according to Asim and other local officials. The cause of the disaster remained unclear, but a witness told CBS News the building appeared "not suitable" for use as a school.

"We have taken out at least 45 children," district emergency officer Iftikhar Khan said, according to the Reuters news agency.

Zahir Hussain, who lives a couple blocks from the school, told CBS News he was walking to work when he saw people running out onto the street.

"I rushed to the spot and the school with others to see what had happened," he said.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/