LAHORE: At least 14 children lost their lives and several sustained injuries after the roof of a private tuition centre in the Kahna area of the provincial capital caved in “during construction”.

In a statement issued after the search and rescue operation was completed, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson said a female teacher and eight children were taken to Lahore General Hospital (LGH) with multiple injuries. Of them, five children were said to be in critical condition, he said.

Initially, some of the children were taken to the nearby Kahna tehsil headquarters hospital, but were later shifted to LGH. According to an earlier list of the deceased provided by LGH, the victims were aged between five and 16 years.

Meanwhile, the provincial health minister, Imran Nazeer, said two minors were discharged after receiving treatment at the THQ Hospital, while the “rest of the four” were out of danger.

He said that at least 20 people, who had been trapped under the rubble, were brought to the THQ. This also included the deceased.

In a statement issued at 7pm, the Lahore police said two individuals, including the owner of the property, had been taken into custody as part of the initial investigation.

It said that evidence was being collected and strict action would be taken against those found guilty of negligence.

DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said the contractor who constructed the house was among those detained. He noted that a part of the house was under construction and labourers were working when the roof collapsed.

A statement by the Edhi rescue service, which also took part in the rescue operation, said that the roof “collapsed suddenly”. It added that preliminary information indicated that the roof had been constructed using TR girders.

“The children were very young, and there were two rooms in use. The ceilings collapsed and trapped the children,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmed told Dawn News.

Lahore District Education Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tariq Mahmood said the building housed a private tuition centre and was run by a resident of the area.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the police and district government authorities to determine the role of those individuals found responsible for the roof collapse, and consequently the deaths, for criminal proceedings.

Lahore Commissioner Marryam Khan said in a statement that “those responsible for the incident will be found through a transparent, unbiased and immediate investigation”.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.

In a statement, PM Shehbaz prayed for the deceased and extended his condolences to the bere­aved families. He also wished the injured a speedy recovery and directed that they be provided with “every possible medical aid”.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2026