At least 14 children dead as tutoring centre collapses in Pakistan

At least 14 children have died after the roof of a tutoring centre collapsed in Lahore, eastern Pakistan, authorities said on Tuesday.

Police and rescue officials said the incident occurred at a private tutoring centre operating inside an ageing building in the city. Eight other children sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital.

Faisal Kamran, a senior police official, said rescue teams were still searching through the rubble following reports that more children could be trapped beneath the debris.

According to officials, the collapse happened when the roof of an unfinished second floor gave way, allegedly due to poor construction standards. Authorities have arrested the owner of the tutoring centre and another individual in connection with the incident.

Building collapses remain a recurring problem in Pakistan, where safety regulations are often weakly enforced. Many structures are constructed with low-quality materials, while cost-cutting measures frequently lead to safety violations.

Witnesses said rescue workers and ambulances arrived shortly after the collapse, while residents joined efforts to clear the rubble using shovels and their bare hands in search of trapped children.

Scenes of grief unfolded outside hospitals and in the neighbourhood where the tutoring centre was located, as families gathered to receive the bodies of the victims. Parents and relatives mourned openly, with funeral prayers expected later on Tuesday.

Residents also expressed anger over the tragedy, accusing the tutoring centre owner of operating classes in an unsafe and deteriorating building. Many called for strict punishment for those responsible.

“We don’t know whose home to visit first to offer condolences for the loss of their children,” resident Zafar Iqbal said while moving between the homes of grieving families.

Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, has a large number of private tutoring centres attended by students after regular school hours.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to the victims’ families in separate statements. They also called for stronger safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.