At least 14 children were killed while several others received injuries after the roof of a coaching centre collapsed in Kahna area of Lahore in Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said.
Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said that 19 children were brought to Kahna Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital following the incident. The minister confirmed that 14 children had died in the collapse.
"After receiving initial medical treatment, two children were discharged, while four others remain in hospital," he said.
The provincial health minister described the incident as deeply tragic and said rescue teams had completed the operation.
Meanwhile, rescue officials said that over 30 children were present inside the tuition centre when the roof collapsed.
Police said construction work was underway on the upper floor of the building, while children were attending classes on the ground floor at the time of the incident.
Authorities have taken five people into custody, including the owner of the building, as an investigation into the roof collapse incident continues.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
He prayed for the departed children and directed authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also took notice of the incident and sought a report from the relevant authorities.
She expressed sorrow over the deaths of the 14 children and directed officials to provide the injured children with the best available medical care.
Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and shoddy construction materials in the South Asian country of more than 240 million people.
Last year in July, 27 people were killed and 10 injured when a five-storey building collapsed in the impoverished area of Karachi's Lyari.
Courtesy: Geo TV
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
