The collapse occurred at the Al-Khair Education Center in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The falling roof crushed classrooms below, trapping children and school staff beneath the debris. Rescue workers and residents joined the emergency operation, which continued for several hours.

The reported casualty figures reflect information published by news organizations citing officials; an updated casualty bulletin directly from the hospital or rescue service was not available for this report.

Police Cite Building Condition as Investigation Continues

Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed said the building was structurally weak and that construction on the roof had placed excessive weight on the structure, according to Reuters.

That account identifies a suspected explanation, not a final technical finding. No engineering assessment establishing the precise failure mechanism was located for this report. The investigation must establish whether structural defects, construction work, maintenance failures or other factors contributed to the collapse.

The school’s owner was arrested, Reuters and The Associated Press reported. The arrest does not establish criminal responsibility, and the available information does not establish whether the owner or any other party violated building or school-safety requirements. <Cite refs={[“turn744233view3″,”turn744233view4”]}/>

Government Orders Inquiry

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested a comprehensive report on the incident and directed authorities to investigate its circumstances, according to Pakistan’s official Radio Pakistan service.

The report said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi informed the prime minister that the school owner had been arrested and an inquiry had begun. The prime minister also called for medical treatment for the injured and assistance for affected families.

The available material did not establish the membership or terms of reference of the provincial investigation committee, whether investigators had secured building plans and inspection records, or when findings would be released.

School Safety Questions Remain Unanswered

The collapse has renewed concern about whether school buildings meet safety requirements and undergo adequate inspection. UNICEF Pakistan, in a statement issued on October 15, called for safety standards to be met in public and private schools and for regular inspections to be enforced.

However, broader concerns about school safety do not by themselves establish that inspection failures or regulatory negligence caused this particular collapse. Determining responsibility will require evidence about the school’s construction, ownership, licensing, inspection history and any previous warnings about the building.

Those records were not available in the material reviewed for this report. Nor was there sufficient primary evidence to establish whether concerns about the building had been raised before the collapse.

The investigation’s findings, along with verified hospital records and the relevant building-safety documents, will be necessary to determine how the structure failed and whether preventable violations contributed to the deaths and injuries.

Reporting Credit: Government of Pakistan, Radio Pakistan (official report on the prime minister’s directive and the governor’s account of the inquiry).

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The incident occurred at about 10:16 a.m. local time on October 10 on the building’s second floor in Gwaneum-dong, Buk District, in southeastern South Korea. A business was holding a sales event for kitchenware and other household goods when sections of the ceiling fell.

All 66 people inside the building evacuated. Authorities reported that the injuries were minor and included abrasions sustained during the incident and evacuation.

Emergency crews search for additional casualties

Daegu firefighting authorities deployed about 60 personnel and 14 pieces of equipment to search the building and secure the scene. The search found no additional casualties.

Some attendees reportedly experienced dizziness, while others were injured as they fled the falling material. The nine people taken to hospitals received further medical attention; officials said none of the reported injuries was life-threatening.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was briefed on the incident and directed officials to prioritize rescue efforts and ensure an appropriate response. Police also deployed officers around the site to manage traffic and restrict access.

Building history under scrutiny

The building was constructed in 1994, according to local reporting. A grocery business that had operated on the first floor stopped trading in late September. The collapse occurred on the second floor, where the sales event was taking place.

Authorities have not established why the ceiling material fell. The precise cause, including whether any building or maintenance issue contributed to the incident, remains under investigation.

Buk District officials planned further inspections of the building, while fire and police authorities worked to preserve the scene and arrange a detailed examination. Those steps may help establish whether the failure involved the ceiling finish, the fixtures supporting it or another factor. No cause should be assumed before investigators release their findings.

Investigation continues

The immediate emergency response accounted for everyone reported to have been inside the building, and authorities found no additional casualties during their search.

The investigation now needs to establish what caused the ceiling material to fall and whether any corrective measures are required before the affected area or other parts of the building can be used again.

For now, the confirmed toll stands at 38 people with minor injuries, including nine who were taken to hospitals. Authorities have not announced a final determination of the cause.

Reporting Credit: Daegu Fire and Safety Headquarters; Daegu Buk District Office; Office of the President of the Republic of Korea.

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A Race Against Time as Rescuers Confront Extensive Damage

The Hong Kong tower fire, which began on Wednesday afternoon, continued to smolder through Thursday as emergency crews searched for survivors in blackened high-rise blocks that once housed thousands of residents. The fire spread with alarming speed across bamboo scaffolding and construction netting, engulfing seven of the complex’s eight towers before firefighters could bring parts of the blaze under control.

Authorities said contact had been lost with 279 people early Thursday, though officials later provided no updated tally on how many remained missing or trapped. The uncertainty complicated rescue operations, with responders forced to navigate collapsed sections, lingering smoke, and extreme heat.

Latest footage from the scene showed firefighters making their way through darkened hallways, using thermal cameras and handheld lights to search units where residents may have sheltered. Orange flames still flickered from several openings even as much of the exterior had already been reduced to charred skeletal frames.

Deputy Fire Services Director Wong Ka-wing said teams were “battling high temperatures and carefully going up floor by floor,” adding that crews “don’t rule out rescuing more injured people.” More than 70 people have been reported injured so far, including 11 firefighters.

Around 900 residents spent the night in temporary shelters after being evacuated from the complex, many of them older adults who had lived in the towers for decades.

Residents Describe Chaos as Narrow Escape Routes Filled With Smoke

Among those waiting for news of loved ones was resident Lawrence Lee, who feared his wife remained trapped inside. He said he urged her to flee when the fire broke out, but she was forced to turn back when heavy smoke blocked escape routes.

“The corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke and it was all dark,” he said at a community shelter. “She had no choice but to go back.”

Winter and Sandy Chung, residents of one of the towers, told reporters they saw sparks falling from the exterior wall as scaffolding ignited. Though they made it out safely, they said the rapid spread of fire left them shaken. “I couldn’t sleep the entire night,” said 75-year-old Winter Chung.

Pope Leo XIV offered prayers in a message sent to the city’s Catholic bishop, extending condolences to families and acknowledging the work of emergency personnel.

Authorities Arrest Construction Company Leaders on Manslaughter Suspicion

In a development that intensified public scrutiny, police on Thursday arrested three men—directors and an engineering consultant of a construction firm—involved in the ongoing renovation project. Officers alleged the men had been “grossly negligent”, though they did not directly name the company.

Police later searched the office of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, which local media identified as the firm overseeing the renovation. Boxes of documents were seized for review. Phone calls to the company went unanswered.

Initial investigations suggest some of the materials on the towers’ exterior walls did not meet fire-resistance standards, contributing to the unusually rapid spread. Police also discovered highly flammable plastic foam panels mounted near elevator lobbies on the unaffected tower. Officials believe the panels were installed by the renovation contractor, but the purpose remains unclear.

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption commission announced it had opened a probe into possible corruption linked to the renovation project, signaling the possibility of broader regulatory and legal consequences.

Bamboo Scaffolding Tradition Faces New Scrutiny After Deadly Blaze

Authorities said the blaze began on external scaffolding of a 32-storey tower before jumping to adjacent buildings, a spread likely worsened by windy conditions. The complex, built in the 1980s, houses nearly 2,000 apartments and about 4,800 residents.

Bamboo scaffolding, long a hallmark of Hong Kong’s construction landscape, is widely used due to its flexibility and cost-effectiveness. But officials now say the material’s vulnerability to fire may require a shift in standards.

Chief Secretary Eric Chan said the government would discuss an industry-wide move toward metal scaffolding, noting bamboo’s “inferior flame retardancy.”

“We believe that a complete switch to metal scaffolding should be implemented in suitable working environments,” he said.

Authorities will also conduct immediate inspections across all major renovation sites citywide to ensure compliance with safety regulations, including material certification and structural protections.

Hong Kong’s Deadliest Fire in Decades Raises Regulatory Concerns

The tragedy marks the city’s deadliest fire in many years; the last incident of comparable scale occurred in 1996, when a commercial building blaze in Kowloon killed 41 people during a 20-hour inferno.

This week’s incident has renewed questions about oversight of construction projects, particularly in older estates undergoing modernization. Safety advocates say the combination of aging buildings, heavy renovation work, and dense population centers can create heightened risk if standards are not strictly enforced.

For now, search teams continue combing through the towers as families wait anxiously for news. The full extent of casualties may not be known for some time, given the structural instability and the scale of the damage.

Source: AP News – At least 75 dead as Hong Kong firefighters battle burning towers for a second day

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