School roof collapses in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 33, mostly children

Rescue teams and locals used their bare hands, buckets and utensils to remove the rubble. The dead and injured are mostly children between 7 and 13 years old, including two female teachers. Ambulances took the injured to a hospital in Peshawar, where an emergency has been declared. This incident took place in the second grade classroom. The kindergarten class was located above us. We were sitting in our classroom studying when suddenly the ceiling collapsed. We managed to run outside while the children inside were screaming. The Al Khair Middle School in a congested part of Peshawar city with narrow alleys and congested access roads. That made it difficult for heavy machinery to reach the site of the collapsed building. The poorly constructed building using steel and wood girders and mud bricks caved in on the students as they were busy in their lessons. Many local people believe the tragedy should have been avoided. Roof collapses occur frequently in Pakistan, where building codes are not always implemented. The authorities are quick to take notice of such incidents, but people here complain. They do little to address the problem and prevent such tragedies. Kamal Haider, Al Jazeera, Islamabad.