Fourteen children died when a roof collapsed over a private tuition centre near Lahore, authorities say.
The incident occurred in the Kahna suburb of Lahore when the roof, reportedly in poor condition and undergoing repairs, gave way on a school in session.
Rescue services were alerted at 16:45 local time and managed to evacuate most of the children within an hour. Survivors, mostly aged between seven and eleven, were taken to hospital. Five others are reported injured.
Officials have launched an investigation; two people have already been arrested. A local resident told AFP that the heavy weight of the roof contributed to the collapse.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences, urging full medical support for the injured, while Punjab’s chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif condemned the tragedy as “heartbreaking” and vowed legal accountability.
