Summary Preliminary inspection reports had identified deteriorating school buildings and classrooms in several KP districts
PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Several government schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been found in a dilapidated condition during inspections launched after a deadly roof collapse at a private school in Peshawar that killed 34 people, including 32 children and two female teachers.
The provincial education department said preliminary inspection reports had identified deteriorating school buildings and classrooms in several districts, following the circulation of videos highlighting their poor condition on social media.
According to the department, four of the six classrooms at a government school in Badal, Buner, have been declared dilapidated. In Charsadda, 15 of the 20 classrooms across three government schools were also found to be in poor condition.
In Lower Dir, the buildings of three government boys’ schools were declared unfit for use, while both classrooms at a government school in Bami Banda, Karak, were found to be dilapidated.
The inspection reports further identified four of the five classrooms at two government schools in Lakki Marwat as being in poor condition. In Mardan, four of the 15 classrooms across two government schools were also declared dilapidated.
In Dera Ismail Khan, all 25 classrooms across two government schools were reported to be in a dilapidated condition. Meanwhile, the buildings of three government girls’ schools in Haripur were also declared completely dilapidated.
The education department said the initial data had been compiled using videos shared on social media after the provincial government appealed to citizens to highlight schools in need of urgent repairs.
The inspection drive follows the collapse of a private school building in Peshawar’s Dir Colony three days ago. The incident killed 32 children and two female teachers, while more than 40 children were injured. The school owner was subsequently arrested.
According to the first information report (FIR) registered in the case, students had raised concerns with the school management about the deteriorating condition of the building, warning that its walls and roof could collapse. The FIR states that their complaints were not addressed.
Police said around 110 children were present at the school at the time of the incident, which occurred within the jurisdiction of Yakatoot police station.
The FIR names the school’s owners, co-owners and contractor and alleges that substandard construction materials were used in the building of Al-Khair Education System in Saeedabad neighbourhood of Dir Colony.
Following the tragedy, the provincial government ordered safety inspections of private school buildings across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and formed inquiry committees at the district level to assess structural safety.
