School roof collapses in Pakistan, killing at least 28 children and teacher
Dozens more injured as police arrest owner of building
asserted
police → collapse → building
The roof of a private school collapsed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 28 children and a female teacher and injuring more than 50 other people, a hospital spokesman said, as rescuers searched the rubble for anyone still trapped.
asserted
rescuers → collapse → anyone
Several children were also trapped under the rubble in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the emergency services.
asserted
Faizi → trap → services
A hospital spokesman, Mohammad Asim, also confirmed the casualties, saying some of the injured were in critical condition.
asserted
some → confirm → condition
All the children killed or injured were age 13 or younger, he said.
asserted
he → kill → ?
The hospital declared an emergency as medical staff treated the wounded.
asserted
staff → declare → wounded
Hours later, rescue officials said that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews were clearing the debris.
asserted
crews → say → debris
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gov. Faisal Karim Kundi expressed sorrow over the collapse and sought a report from the relevant authorities about the cause of the collapse.
asserted
Kundi → express → collapse
He directed officials to provide the best possible medical care to the injured children.
asserted
He → direct → children
As if the sky had fallen
asserted
sky → fall → ?
: teacher
Mahwish Zaman, an injured teacher speaking from a hospital bed, said that the three-storey school had an estimated 1,200 students enrolled in nursery through fifth grade.
asserted
school → speak → grade
She told The Associated Press that she was in her classroom when the roof collapsed and felt as if the sky had fallen.
asserted
sky → tell → classroom
She regained consciousness in the hospital.
asserted
She → regain → hospital
An infographic indicates the location of Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan.
asserted
infographic → indicate → Pakistan
According to witnesses, residents were among the first to reach the school in a congested neighbourhood in central Peshawar.
uncertain
residents → accord → Peshawar
A resident, Samiullah Khan, said that he rushed to the school after learning of the collapse and helped rescue three girls.
asserted
he → say → girls
Khan said his son, who attends the school, survived because he had stepped out of his classroom to drink water.
asserted
he → say → water
Building owner arrested, police say
asserted
police → arrest → ?
A resident, Mohammad Khan, said rescuers carefully removed debris, trying to reach children and staff feared trapped beneath the collapsed roof.
asserted
rescuers → say → roof
Outside the school and at the state-run Lady Reading Hospital, anguished parents sought information about their children, unsure whether they had survived.
asserted
they → run → children
Peshawar police chief Saeed Ahmed said that the school's owner had been arrested.
asserted
owner → say → ?
He said that the building was structurally weak.
asserted
building → say → ?
The provincial government said that the school occupied a three-storey building and that a committee had been formed to investigate the cause of the roof collapse.
asserted
committee → say → collapse
The provincial government spokeswoman, Samar Haroon Bilour, said that the government directed hospital officials to provide prompt medical care to the injured children and praised rescue workers for their swift response.
asserted
government → say → response
She said that the government was using all available resources to bring those trapped beneath the rubble to safety.
asserted
government → say → safety
In Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the deaths and offered condolences to the bereaved families in separate statements.
"The entire nation shares the grief of the affected families in this hour of sorrow," Zardari said.
asserted
Zardari → express → sorrow
He also called for a comprehensive investigation into the collapse and stressed the need to ensure school buildings meet safety standards to prevent similar tragedies.
asserted
buildings → call → tragedies
In July, a roof collapsed at a tutoring centre under construction in Lahore, killing four schoolchildren.
asserted
roof → collapse → schoolchildren
Building collapses are common in Pakistan , where construction standards are often poorly enforced.
asserted
standards → enforce → Pakistan
Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to reduce costs.
asserted
regulations → build → costs
The Aporia
