An inquiry into the roof collapse at a tuition centre in Lahore’s Kahna area has found that the facility was operating without government registration from a residential house, while police have detained five people as investigations into the tragedy continue.
The collapse killed 14 children and injured eight children and a female teacher, according to police and rescue officials. Rescue authorities said the injured were in stable condition.
The inquiry report, completed by the Lahore Education Authority and submitted to the district administration, stated that the tuition centre had been operating from a private residence without registration with any government authority.
According to the report, the female teacher had been providing private tuition to children, most of whom were her relatives. It added that between 25 and 30 children were present inside the tuition centre when the roof caved in.
Chief Executive Officer of the Education Authority, Tariq Mahmood, said there is currently no formal mechanism for registering tuition centres operating from private homes. He added that such home-based tuition centres fall outside the Education Department’s existing registration framework.
He said the district administration would decide the future course of action based on the findings of the inquiry. Separately, Lahore police registered a First Information Report (FIR) over the incident.
According to the FIR, filed on the complaint of the Enforcement Inspector of Nishtar Zone, the deaths resulted from alleged negligence and unsafe construction practices. It stated that the tuition centre was operating beneath a structurally weak roof while repair work was being carried out on the upper portion of the building.
Investigators believe the roof collapsed after it failed to bear the additional load, trapping students beneath the rubble.
Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran said police had taken five individuals, including the building owner, into custody. He added that legal action would be initiated against those found responsible after the investigation is completed.