LAHORE, Pakistan — At least 14 schoolchildren were killed and eight others injured after the roof of a tutoring center under construction collapsed Tuesday in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, according to The Associated Press, citing police and rescue officials.
Senior police official Faisal Kamran said emergency crews continued searching through the debris after receiving reports that additional children could still be trapped beneath the rubble. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Authorities said the owner of the private tutoring center and another individual were arrested as investigators began examining the cause of the collapse.
Preliminary Investigation Points to Structural Failures
According to Kamran, the tutoring center was operating inside an aging residential building where an unfinished second floor was under construction. Officials believe the roof gave way because of poor construction quality.
Investigators are continuing to assess the structural integrity of the building while determining whether construction regulations had been violated.
Building collapses remain a recurring problem in Pakistan, where construction standards are frequently criticized for weak enforcement. Many structures are built using substandard materials, while safety regulations are often overlooked to reduce construction costs.
Rescue Teams and Residents Race to Save Trapped Children
Witnesses said ambulances, rescue personnel and local residents rushed to the scene immediately after the collapse.
Residents joined emergency workers in clearing debris with shovels and their bare hands as rescuers searched for survivors beneath the wreckage.
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Authorities said rescue operations continued for several hours amid concerns that more victims could remain trapped.
Grief and Anger Spread Across Lahore Community
As victims’ bodies were returned to their families, scenes of mourning unfolded outside hospitals and throughout the neighborhood where the tutoring center operated.
Parents wept over the loss of their children while relatives gathered to comfort grieving families ahead of funeral prayers expected later Tuesday.
Many of the victims lived near the tutoring center, intensifying the impact on the surrounding community.
Residents also expressed anger over what they described as unsafe conditions at the privately operated learning center.
“We don’t know whose home to visit first to offer condolences for the loss of their children,” local resident Zafar Iqbal said while moving between the homes of grieving families.
Community members called for strict legal action against the tutoring center’s owner, arguing that classes should not have been held inside what they described as an old and unsafe building.
National Leaders Offer Condolences
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued separate statements expressing sorrow over the tragedy.
Both leaders extended condolences to the victims’ families, wished those injured a speedy recovery and emphasized the need for stronger building safety measures to help prevent similar incidents.
Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, is home to numerous private tutoring centers that many families rely on to provide additional education for children after regular school hours.
The investigation into the collapse remains ongoing as authorities continue rescue efforts and examine whether negligence or construction violations contributed to one of the city’s deadliest building accidents involving schoolchildren in recent years.
Tags: Pakistan, Lahore, Punjab, Building Collapse, Schoolchildren, Tutoring Center, Construction Safety, Rescue Operation, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Public Safety, Infrastructure
