LAHORE – A tragic incident has been reported from Dera Ghazi Khan as the roof of a classroom of a private school suddenly collapsed, killing at least four children and injuring 20 others in a scene of panic and devastation.
Local district administration said the injured included 16 students, two teachers, and two labourers. The collapse occurred around noon while classes were underway, turning the school into a disaster zone within seconds. Parents rushed to site to find their little ones buried under debris.
Emergency services rushed to the scene immediately after the incident was reported. Officials said rescue teams and ambulances arrived within four minutes as desperate efforts began to pull trapped children and staff from beneath the rubble.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said rescue workers, district administration officials, and local residents joined hands in a frantic operation to recover students and teachers buried under the collapsed structure. All injured victims were shifted to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.
Initial findings from the district administration revealed that construction work for an extension of the school building was ongoing at the time of the tragedy. Investigators believe the roof collapsed because it had been overloaded with construction material, including sand and bricks. “The roof could not bear the load and resultantly collapsed,” the report stated.
The shocking revelation raised serious concerns over safety measures at educational institutions. Before the release of the inquiry report, CEO Waqas Gill had warned that strict action would be taken against the school administration for allegedly risking students’ lives by continuing construction work during school hours.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also took immediate notice of the incident and directed the concerned authorities to submit a detailed report on the deadly collapse.
