At least 14 children were killed and five others injured after the roof of a private tuition center collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area on Tuesday, according to rescue officials.
Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir told media 19 children were brought to Kahna Tehsil Headquarters Hospital after the incident, adding 14 of them had died in the collapse. “After receiving initial medical treatment, two children were discharged, while four others remain in hospital,” he said.
All the affected children were aged between five and 16 years.
Describing the incident as deeply tragic, Nazir said rescue teams had completed their operation and recovered all bodies from the rubble.
According to rescue officials, around 30 children were present inside the tuition center when the roof collapsed. They said the children were attending a class on the ground floor when construction work was underway on the roof, with the weight of the building material apparently overloading the building’s roof.
Authorities have thus far taken five people into custody, including the building’s owner and the contractor in-charge of the construction. A formal inquiry has been ordered by Punjab Chief Minister Mayam Nawaz and is currently underway. She has vowed zero leniency for anyone found responsible for the “tragic act of negligence.”
In a statement, Nawaz expressed sorrow over the deaths of the 14 children and directed officials to provide the injured with the best possible medical care.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. He prayed for the departed children and directed authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.