Twenty-seven pupils and a teacher have died after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, hospital officials say.
Asim Khan of Lady Reading Hospital confirmed the deaths to AFP on Thursday. He said more than 30 people sustained injuries, with six in critical condition.
Rescue teams deployed 16 ambulances, two disaster response vehicles and more than 60 personnel to the scene. Rescue 1122 spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi warned that more children could remain trapped beneath the rubble.
A resident, Sher Ahmed, blamed what he described as substandard building materials and called for an investigation to identify and punish anyone found responsible.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, expressed sorrow over the deaths and extended condolences to the bereaved families. President Asif Ali Zardari also described the incident as a heartbreaking tragedy.
