- Authorities Arrest Two as Rescue Teams Continue Search Operation
LAHORE: At least 14 schoolchildren were killed and eight others injured after the roof of a tutoring center under construction collapsed in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday, according to police and rescue officials.
Senior police official Faisal Kamran said the injured children were receiving treatment at a local hospital, while authorities arrested the owner of the tutoring center and another individual in connection with the incident.
Rescue workers continued searching through the debris amid concerns that additional victims could still be trapped beneath the rubble.
Poor Construction Suspected as Cause of Collapse
According to preliminary investigations, the tutoring center operated in an aging building, and the roof of an unfinished second floor is believed to have caved in due to poor construction standards.
Officials said further inquiries are underway to determine responsibility and assess whether building regulations and safety requirements had been violated.
Building collapses remain a recurring problem in Pakistan, where enforcement of construction standards is often weak. Many structures are erected using substandard materials, while safety regulations are frequently overlooked to cut costs.
Residents Join Rescue Efforts
Witnesses said rescue teams and ambulances rushed to the scene shortly after the collapse, while local residents joined emergency workers in efforts to save those trapped under the debris.
Using shovels and even their bare hands, volunteers assisted in removing rubble in a desperate attempt to reach the children.
Hours later, scenes of profound grief unfolded outside hospitals and in the neighborhood on Lahore’s outskirts where the private tutoring center, operating from a residential building, was located.
Parents mourned the loss of their children as relatives gathered to offer condolences, with funeral prayers for most of the victims expected later in the day.
Anger Mounts Over Alleged Negligence
The tragedy has also sparked anger among residents, many of whom accused the center’s management of conducting classes in an unsafe and deteriorating structure.
“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 bereaved families.
Community members called for strict legal action against those responsible, demanding accountability for what they described as preventable negligence.
National Leaders Express Condolences
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the incident in separate statements.
The two leaders conveyed their condolences to the victims’ families, prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured, and stressed the importance of implementing effective safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Lahore, the capital of Punjab, is home to a large number of private tutoring centers that provide after-school education to students across the province.
BY: The Times Union
