At least 14 children have been killed and several more injured after a roof collapsed at a private tuition centre in the Pakistani city of Lahore, in an incident that has reignited calls for urgent building safety reforms. The collapse occurred on Tuesday afternoon at a four-storey building in the densely populated Nawab Town area, where dozens of students aged between 10 and 18 were attending afternoon classes.
Rescue officials confirmed that 14 bodies had been recovered from the rubble, while a further 20 children were admitted to local hospitals with injuries ranging from fractures to severe crush wounds. The death toll is expected to rise as search operations continue. Witnesses reported hearing a loud cracking sound before the roof gave way, trapping many students under debris.
Pakistani authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, with initial reports suggesting that the building had been constructed without proper permits and that structural modifications may have weakened the roof. The tuition centre owner and the building contractor have been taken into custody for questioning. The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of grief across the country, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing condolences and ordering an immediate review of building safety regulations.
In London, a group of British structural engineers with experience in Pakistani construction practices have issued a statement calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s building codes and enforcement mechanisms. The group, which includes members of the Institution of Structural Engineers, argued that the disaster was preventable and highlighted a pattern of similar collapses in Pakistan due to poor construction standards and unchecked building expansion.
“The loss of young lives in Lahore is a stark reminder of the systemic failures in building safety across Pakistan,” said Dr. James Whitfield, a chartered structural engineer who has advised on reconstruction projects in South Asia. “The lack of enforcement of existing regulations, combined with rampant use of substandard materials and unqualified labour, creates a ticking time bomb. Without immediate action, we will see more such tragedies.”
The engineers’ statement called for mandatory third-party structural inspections for all public buildings, stricter licensing for builders, and a national database of structural integrity assessments for schools and tuition centres. They also urged the Pakistani government to adopt and enforce seismic safety standards, as parts of the country are prone to earthquakes.
Lahore has witnessed several building collapses in recent years, including a 2022 incident in which seven people died when a residential building fell in the city’s Gulshan-e-Ravi area. Critics say that rapid urbanisation and corruption in the construction industry have made such disasters routine. The tuition centre collapse is likely to intensify scrutiny of the real estate sector and calls for political accountability.
As rescue efforts continue, families have gathered outside hospitals, some in frantic search of missing children. The local administration has declared a state of emergency in the affected area and is coordinating with military units to assist in debris clearance. The death toll is expected to climb as more bodies are recovered overnight.
The British engineers’ intervention reflects growing international concern over building safety in developing economies. Their report is due to be submitted to the Commonwealth Engineers Council, which has previously highlighted the link between weak governance and infrastructure failures. The council has offered to provide technical assistance to Pakistan in developing a more robust regulatory framework.
For now, the focus remains on the immediate aftermath of the collapse. The children who died were pursuing extra tuition to improve their academic prospects, a common practice in Pakistan’s competitive education system. Their deaths have left a community in mourning and renewed a painful question: how many more lives must be lost before meaningful action is taken?
