Fourteen children died when the roof of a building near Lahore, Pakistan, collapsed on top of them, officials confirmed. The incident occurred at a private tuition centre in the Kahna suburb of Lahore. Young children under the age of 10 were among those taken from the scene.

Farooq Ahmed, spokesman for the emergency service Rescue 1122, told the BBC that they received a call about the incident at 16:45 (12:45 BST) and completed the rescue operation within one hour. Most of those rescued were between seven and 11 years old.

Zaheer, 45, who said his niece was among the victims, told AFP the roof had been "in poor shape" and that tiles on the roof were undergoing repairs while the children were studying. He added, "They put a lot of weight on the roof and that's why this has happened."

Authorities have launched an investigation into the collapse, and two people have been taken into custody as part of the initial inquiry.

In a message attributed to his office, Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences, stating he "prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed the authorities to provide them with every possible medical assistance." Additionally, a message shared on X in English conveyed that "the loss of 14 innocent lives is an immeasurable sorrow, and my heart goes out to the grieving families."

Sources