Roof Collapse at Lahore Tuition Centre Kills 14 Children; CM Orders Inquiry

Owner, contractor detained as rescue operation ends; deceased identified

LAHORE: (Nazrana Times) 

At least 14 children were killed and several others injured on Tuesday when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area, officials said, prompting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to order an immediate inquiry and criminal proceedings against those responsible.

The incident happened in Basti Eid Gah, Kahna Nau, where the tuition centre was operating from an under-construction building. Rescue 1122 and the Edhi Foundation carried out the search-and-rescue effort after the roof gave way while classes were under way, trapping children and a female teacher under the debris. Officials said the roof had been built with TR girders and that construction work was ongoing on the upper portion while classes continued below.

Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran confirmed that 14 bodies were recovered, while Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said about 19 to 20 children and a teacher were taken to hospital, with more serious cases shifted to Lahore General Hospital. Hospital authorities declared an emergency and mobilised senior staff to handle the casualties.

Police said the building owner and the contractor responsible for the recent construction were taken into custody as investigators gathered evidence to determine criminal liability.

Maryam Nawaz directed police and district authorities to identify all those responsible and initiate criminal proceedings without delay, while Lahore Commissioner Marryam Khan said the case would be investigated transparently. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

The deceased were identified as: Mah Noor Farooq, Rimsha Atif, Murtaza Atif, Ghulam Nabi, Tabisha Shehzad, Khadija, Salman, Sughra, Kaneeza, Rabia, Saima, Amna, Sawera, Dua Fatima, Sonia and Maryam.