Identification of dilapidated buildings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the Peshawar school tragedy

Following the tragic incident involving the collapse of a school roof in the Dir Colony area of ​​Peshawar, an inspection of educational institution buildings has been initiated across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Preliminary reports indicate that classrooms and buildings at several government schools in various districts are in a dilapidated state.

According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Department, schools identified through videos circulating on social media are currently being assessed, and initial inspection reports have begun to arrive.

Concerning Conditions in Schools Across Various Districts

Preliminary data from the Education Department reveals that at the government school in Badal, Buner, four out of six classrooms were found to be in a dilapidated condition. In Charsadda, 15 out of 20 classrooms across three government schools have been reported to be in poor condition.

In Lower Dir, the buildings of three government schools for boys have been deemed unusable. Similarly, both classrooms at the government school in Bami Banda, Karak, are also in a dilapidated state.

Reports from other districts indicate that four out of five classrooms in two schools in Lakki Marwat, four out of 15 classrooms in two schools in Mardan, and all 25 classrooms across two government schools in Dera Ismail Khan are in a dilapidated condition. Furthermore, the buildings of three government schools for girls in Haripur have also been described as being in a completely dilapidated state.

Data Gathered from Social Media Videos

The Education Department states that information regarding the poor condition of government school buildings was collected from videos shared on social media. The provincial government had also appealed to citizens to share videos of dilapidated schools so that such educational institutions could be identified.

Previously, the government had decided to assess the structural safety of private school buildings, leading to the formation of inquiry committees at the district level.

Dozens of children killed in Dir Colony incident

Three days ago, the roof of a private school in the Dir Colony area of ​​Peshawar collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 32 children and two female teachers, while over 40 children sustained injuries. According to the police, 110 children were present inside the building at the time of the incident. Following the event, the school owner was arrested.

The First Information Report (FIR) registered regarding the incident states that the children had previously expressed concerns about the dilapidated walls and ceilings of the building; however, their complaints were ignored.

Details regarding the school building and its construction

According to the FIR, the school—named 'Al-Khair Education System'—was located in the Saeedabad neighborhood of Dir Colony. The school building was constructed on a 16-marla plot, owned by individuals identified as Waheed and Javed.

The case record indicates that in 2024, Mufti Khan Muhammad—along with partners Riaz, Moeez-ur-Rehman, and Maulana Amir Habib—leased the plot, while the construction work was entrusted to a contractor named Shah Zaman. The FIR also alleges that substandard materials were used during the construction.

In the wake of this incident, the provincial government has initiated measures to evaluate the structural safety of buildings housing educational institutions. The situation revealed during the initial inspection has made questions regarding the condition of school buildings and the safety of students even more significant.