KP orders 3-day safety inspections of schools after Peshawar collapse kills 33

The death toll from the catastrophic building collapse at a private school in Peshawar’s Dir Colony climbed to 33, administrative and hospital records confirmed on Friday, October 16, as an initial inquiry cited severe structural vulnerabilities and the provincial government ordered emergency inspections of all educational institutions across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

What did the preliminary inquiry uncover regarding the cause and casualties of the collapse?

According to a preliminary inquiry report submitted by the Peshawar Deputy Commissioner’s office, the Rescue 1122 emergency control room received the distress call at 8:48 AM on Thursday, with the initial response unit arriving at the scene within seven minutes. More than 100 emergency personnel and specialized disaster response teams took part in the prolonged debris-clearing and extrication operation.

The investigation revealed that the three-storey school building had been constructed using iron girders and unreinforced brickwork without sufficient structural support. The disaster occurred when the framework of a first-floor classroom gave way, collapsing directly onto an occupied ground-floor classroom beneath it while morning lessons were underway in both rooms.

A total of 89 casualties were evacuated to two provincial capital hospitals, including Lady Reading Hospital, where 33 individuals, primarily young students, succumbed to their injuries, while 56 others remain under medical treatment. The inquiry stressed that while structural weakness and recent rainfall were primary factors, a comprehensive technical and engineering investigation is required to establish definitive cause and liability.

What administrative measures and audits have been initiated across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

In the wake of the tragedy, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Department issued an official directive establishing inspection committees across every district in the province.

The committees have been tasked with examining both state-owned and privately rented school premises, conducting forensic evaluations of roofs, ceilings, load-bearing walls, columns, beams, foundations, and staircases. The panels are required to submit comprehensive recommendations regarding emergency repairs, structural retrofitting, and closure orders within three days of the notification.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi announced financial relief packages of Rs 1 million for the families of each deceased victim and Rs 200,000 for each injured survivor.

Ordering comprehensive province-wide structural audits, Governor Kundi leveled sharp criticism at the previous provincial administration for weakening regulatory oversight by removing statutory provisions from the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) law that had empowered authorities to seal substandard or hazardous schools, terming the legislative dilution a "criminal act."

He further warned that municipal and education department officials who granted illegal No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to non-compliant structures will be held legally accountable.

Forensic teams from the provincial Communications and Works Department have begun collecting masonry and material samples from the Dir Colony site to determine potential criminal negligence by the private school's administration.