PESHAWAR: The owner of a private school in Peshawar whose building collapsed has attributed the incident to recent rains, saying the school’s foundation was laid around 18 months ago.
Speaking to Geo News, school owner Khan Muhammad said the area had experienced rainfall for several days before the incident.
He said he had visited the affected classroom that morning. After the collapse, he called the teachers and began efforts to evacuate the children.
According to Khan Muhammad, one room on the second floor collapsed, bringing down rooms below it. He said approximately 30 children were present in the affected classroom, while around 350 students were enrolled at the school overall.
However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Secretary Inayatullah Waseem offered a different account, saying the building was in a dilapidated condition. He said the department had not received any prior report about the building’s condition.
The education secretary confirmed that an inquiry committee had been formed to determine the cause of the collapse.
He also announced that buildings of both public and private educational institutions would be inspected. The government will cover the medical expenses of children injured in the incident.
The exact cause of the collapse remains subject to the inquiry.