14 children die in Lahore tuition centre roof collapse, two held

A tuition centre roof collapsed in Lahore’s Kahna area and killed at least 14 children after construction work on the upper floor gave way while more than 30 pupils were inside. The collapse happened around 4:45 p.m. local time, sending rescue teams into a house on a narrow residential street where children had gathered for lessons.

Police said the centre was operating from a home in Kahna when the roof of a room caved in suddenly. Rescue 1122 said the operation was completed in about an hour, with crews pulling children from the debris as ambulances rushed the injured to hospital.

Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said 19 injured children were taken to Kahna Tehsil Headquarters Hospital. Two were discharged after initial treatment, while four remained under care and were reported to be out of danger. Other accounts said five children were injured, and one teacher was among those hurt.

The dead included boys and girls, with medical sources putting their ages at roughly four to 12 years old, while other accounts placed them between seven and 13. The numbers underline how many young children were caught inside a building that was not under normal school scrutiny, but was being used as a tuition centre in a densely packed neighborhood.

Authorities detained two to five people in connection with the collapse, including the building owner and, in some reports, the contractor involved in the construction work. Police said the upper floor was under construction when the children were attending classes below, raising immediate questions about who allowed the site to stay open and who was responsible for safety checks.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and condolences over the deaths. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered police and district authorities to identify those responsible and start criminal proceedings. The crash has intensified scrutiny of private tuition centres operating in residential buildings, where informal arrangements can keep children inside structures that may never face the same oversight applied to formal schools.