Police on Friday registered a criminal case against the owners, shareholders and contractor of a private school in Peshawar’s Dir Colony following a roof collapse that killed dozens of children and a teacher.
According to the first information report (FIR), 30 children and a female teacher were killed, while 52 people were injured when sections of the three-storey Al-Khair School collapsed during morning classes on Thursday.
Students and teachers were trapped beneath the debris, prompting a rescue operation that continued for several hours. Emergency teams faced difficulties reaching the site because of the narrow streets surrounding the school in the densely populated neighbourhood.
The case was registered at Agha Mir Jani Shah police station under Sections 322, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Section 322 concerns qatl-bis-sabab, or causing death without direct intent.
Police said efforts were underway to arrest the suspects named in the FIR. The school owner, Khan Muhammad, had already been taken into custody.
Investigators are examining allegations that the building was constructed using substandard materials and that its structural condition had deteriorated significantly before the tragedy.
The FIR alleges that concerns had previously been raised about weakening walls and roofs, including complaints from children, but that the school management failed to take corrective action.
According to the police report, the roofs of a nursery classroom on the second floor and rooms on the ground floor gave way.
The school, which reportedly had approximately 110 enrolled students, stood on a 16-marla plot owned by two individuals identified as Waheed and Javed. The land was leased in 2024, after which the school building was constructed.
Following the disaster, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government ordered a fact-finding inquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine responsibility.
Provincial authorities also directed a structural safety audit of educational institutions across K-P.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Department separately recommended a province-wide assessment of government school buildings, with structures to be classified according to the level of safety risk they present.
The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of construction standards and building inspections at educational institutions, particularly where students attend classes in structures that may not meet safety requirements.
Investigations into the construction of the school and the alleged failure to address earlier safety concerns are continuing.