Fourteen children died after the roof of a private tuition centre in the Kahna suburb of Lahore collapsed on Tuesday, officials said, as rescue workers and residents clawed through rubble with shovels and bare hands in a desperate search for survivors.
The emergency service Rescue 1122 received a call at 16:45 local time, spokesman Farooq Ahmed told the BBC. Within an hour, the rescue operation was complete. Most of those recovered were between seven and 11 years old. Eight other children were injured and taken to hospital, senior police official Faisal Kamran said.
“Fourteen children aged 7–11 died when a tuition centre roof collapsed in Lahore; owner arrested.”
Two people have been arrested, including the owner of the tutoring centre, Kamran said, as an investigation was launched into the collapse. The centre was housed in an aging building, and the roof of an unfinished second floor gave way because of poor-quality construction, he added.
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the incident, offering condolences to the families and calling for effective safety measures to prevent similar tragedies. Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced and safety regulations frequently ignored to reduce costs.
Hours later, as the bodies of the children were handed over to their families, scenes of anguish unfolded outside hospitals and in the neighbourhood on the outskirts of Lahore. Most of the victims lived nearby. Funeral prayers were expected later on Tuesday.
Grief mixed with anger as residents demanded stern punishment for the owner, blaming him for operating classes in an unsafe building. Dozens of mourners gathered outside victims' homes to offer condolences. "We don't know whose home to visit first to offer condolences for the loss of their children," resident Zafar Iqbal said as he moved from one bereaved family's home to another nearby street.