Mushitags

 Conceptual illustration — a closed school entrance and an architectural safety review; it does not depict the school or the collapse. UPDATE — Friday, Oct. 16: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ordered district committees to inspect all private-school buildings across the province and report within three days. The order covers roofs, walls, beams, foundations and staircases, including rented premises. Buildings are to be classed as safe, in need of repairs or potentially unsafe, according to the order reviewed by the [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-school-roof-collapse-inspections-0ec543a80ffad70e88500071d0ea2429). The province has opened an investigation into the collapse at Al-Khair school in Peshawar. Some relatives told AP they had raised concerns about the building before the disaster, including a report of leaks; that account has not been independently confirmed. Police arrested the school’s owner. Peshawar’s police chief said the building was structurally weak, while police said the owner told them recent rain had weakened one roof. These claims do not establish the final cause. The governor’s office said investigators would examine who issued the school’s no-objection certificate and promised action against anyone found responsible. It also announced compensation of 1 million Pakistani rupees for each family of a person killed and 200,000 rupees for each injured person, according to the [official statement](https://www.governor.kp.gov.pk/node/775). A roof collapse at Al-Khair school killed at least 34 children and one teacher and injured more than 50 people, according to the latest [Associated Press report](https://apnews.com/article/c0be44527f22b43ea16a1f10d4b43e54), which cites a hospital official and emergency services. The roofs of two classrooms gave way while second- and third-grade pupils were in class. The children were mostly 6 to 12 years old; the oldest was 14. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told AP that everyone trapped had been pulled out and the debris cleared. The reported toll changed as rescue work unfolded: Radio Pakistan initially reported 21 deaths, while Reuters-based coverage later put the toll at 28 or 29. AP's account gives the highest toll, 35. The provincial government says it has formed a committee to determine why the three-storey building failed. The engineering cause, whether previous warnings were made, and any responsibility for approvals remain under investigation. The three-day inspection deadline and the findings of the formal inquiry are the next milestones. The order may identify other schools requiring repairs or closures, but no inspection results or final cause have been announced yet. ~worldnews ~pakistan ~education ~schoolsafety