Pakistan: Roof collapse kills 14 children at Lahore tuition centre

Pakistan: Roof collapse kills 14 children at Lahore tuition centre

At least 14 children died on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, after the roof of a private tutoring centre collapsed in the Kahna suburb of Lahore, officials said. The disaster occurred in Basti Eid Gah, Kahna Nau, an area to the south of Pakistan's second-largest city in Punjab province.

Rescue operations began after emergency services received a call at 16:45, according to Farooq Ahmed, a spokesman for Rescue 1122. He stated the operation was completed within one hour. Civilians and uniformed rescuers used spades and their bare hands to dig through rubble in the tightly packed residential area. Bodies of the young victims, shrouded in white sheets, were recovered as relatives gathered at the scene in anguish.

The victims were children, with different sources reporting varying age ranges. Medical sources cited ages between about four and 12, while Punjab's emergency service reported the children killed were aged five to 16, with most below nine. Farooq Ahmed noted that most recovered individuals were between seven and 11 years old.

The centre operated within a private house belonging to a teacher who educated children from a disadvantaged neighbourhood, according to a statement from the Punjab education minister. Punjab information minister Azma Bokhari added that preliminary reports indicate the facility was unregistered and operating under a dilapidated roof.

Witnesses described a scene of negligence. Zaheer, 45, whose niece was among the victims, told AFP the roof was in poor shape and that workers were repairing tiles while children studied.

"Suddenly the roof collapsed on top of quite a few children,"

Zaheer, witness, via AFP

He attributed the collapse to the weight put on the roof during repairs.

Senior police official Faisal Kamran stated the roof of an unfinished second floor apparently collapsed due to poor construction quality. He reported that eight other children were injured and treated at a hospital. Commissioner Marryam Khan of Lahore also confirmed a teacher was injured.

Authorities have launched an investigation. Provincial police announced on X that two people have been taken into custody, including the owner of the tutoring centre, according to Faisal Kamran. Commissioner Marryam Khan promised a transparent, unbiased and immediate investigation to find those responsible.

The tragedy drew responses from the highest levels of government. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, directing authorities to provide all possible medical assistance. President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed grief and stated that effective safety measures are necessary to prevent similar events. Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, called the event a heartbreaking tragedy and vowed that any individual found accountable will face the full force of the law.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where a population of more than 240 million lives with poorly enforced construction standards and the use of substandard materials. In July last year, a five-storey building collapsed in the Lyari area of Karachi, killing 27 people and injuring 10.

Local residents expressed anger toward the centre's owner for operating in an unsafe building. Zafar Iqbal, a resident, told the Associated Press that the scale of the loss left neighbors uncertain of whose home to visit first to offer condolences.