LAHORE: A roof collapse at a private tuition centre in Lahore’s Kahna area on Tuesday killed at least 14 children and left several others, including a female teacher, injured, officials said.
According to Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir, 19 children were rushed to the Kahna Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital following the incident. Of these, 14 succumbed to their injuries, he confirmed. Two children were discharged after receiving primary first aid, while four remain under medical care. The minister called the event “deeply tragic” and confirmed that rescue crews had completed their on-site operations.
Nazeer said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had ordered an inquiry into the incident, warning that the roof collapse would be treated as a “test case incident.”
At the time of the incident, approximately 30 to 35 children were attending tuition classes at the academy.
According to reports, a woman named Anila Rehan had set up the tuition centre in her home, a dilapidated structure spanning about six marlas, built with a mix of baked and unbaked bricks. On the day of the tragedy, Anila was teaching children as usual, while labourers were working on the roof above. Around 4:45pm, the roof came crashing down with a deafening noise, burying all the children beneath the debris.
Neighbours immediately alerted Rescue 1122 and police helpline 15, while local residents launched a spontaneous rescue effort, pulling children out of the rubble with their bare hands before help arrived. Soon after, a large number of locals and grieving parents gathered at the scene. Police and district administration officials also reached the site and supervised the relief operations.
Rescue teams later extracted all those trapped and rushed them to nearby hospitals. A total of 14 children were recovered dead from the debris, while according to one source, the rescue teams pulled out 22 individuals in total and transported them for medical attention.
The scene was heart-wrenching, with parents and siblings wailing uncontrollably as they identified the bodies of their young ones.
Preliminary investigations suggest that rainwater had washed away soil from the rooftop, weakening the structure. Anila’s husband was having soil laid and tiles installed over the roof of the room, which had been constructed using girders and T-bars. The combined weight of the labourers and materials proved too much for the already fragile roof, causing it to collapse with a thunderous blast.
It was further learnt that Anila is also a government schoolteacher and used to teach tuition to children at her home in the evening.
The 14 children who lost their lives in the roof collapse of the academy in Kahna have been identified as Tabishah Shahzad (7), Abdullah (8), Urooj (9), Salman (6), Fawad (8), Rehan (11), Fatima (6), Tabish (9), Ghulam Nabi (9), Khadija (12), Mahnoor (7), Ramsha (7), Irtiza (4), Ali (6), and Arham (8), while the injured include the tuition centre’s teacher Anila (28), along with Almas (11), Ayaan (6), Murtaza (10), Abiha (9), Fareeha (7), Rabia (5) and another Ayaan (8).
Authorities have taken five individuals into custody for questioning, including the owner of the building, as a formal investigation into the cause of the collapse gets under way.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meanwhile, expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the collapse of the tuition centre roof in Lahore. In their separate statements, the president and prime minister expressed profound sorrow over the deaths of children in the tragic incident and prayed for the eternal peace and elevation of ranks of departed souls in Jannah. They also extended their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for speedy recovery of those injured in the incident. “The loss of innocent children’s precious lives is a matter of profound sorrow for the entire nation. Effective safety measures are essential to prevent such tragedies in the future,” the president said.
The prime minister directed the authorities to ensure they receive every possible medical assistance.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragedy. Expressing deep anguish over the heartbreaking incident, Ayaz Sadiq said that the untimely demise of innocent students is an irreparable loss not only for their families but for the entire nation.
Ayaz Sadiq extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families. Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider Khan also expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragic roof collapse. Extending his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families, the governor also prayed for the swift and full recovery of the children injured in the incident. He expressed deep anguish over the loss of innocent young lives and emphasized the urgent need for concrete measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Governor Salim Haider Khan further stated that conducting educational activities in substandard and dilapidated buildings is tantamount to playing with the lives of children. He called for the identification of those responsible and urged that they be brought to justice without delay.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took an immediate notice of the tragedy, seeking a detailed report from relevant departments. She expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and reiterated directives to ensure the best possible treatment for those still hospitalised.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari stated that the tuition centre was operating out of a residential house, and that a dilapidated structure was being used for teaching children without having been properly repaired.
Lahore DIG Operations Faisal Kamran stated that all legal requirements will be strictly adhered to, and action will be taken against those responsible without any discrimination. He added that authorities are in constant contact with all relevant departments, and every aspect of the incident is being examined meticulously.
Lahore Police, he said, are extending all possible legal, administrative and humanitarian support to the affected families. He further emphasised that the police are utilising all available resources to effectively handle the emergency situation and ensure the protection of citizens’ lives and property.
