Roof collapse kills 14 children at Pakistani tuition centre

Fourteen children died after the roof of a tuition centre collapsed in the Kahna suburb of Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday, officials said.

Punjab's emergency service said rescuers pulled children under the age of 10 and a 30-year-old female teacher from the rubble of the after-school facility.

Another five people are believed to have been injured.

Authorities launched an investigation into the collapse, and two people were taken into custody as part of the initial inquiry.

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Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said preliminary findings indicated the tuition centre was unregistered and operating from a privately owned residential building with a dilapidated roof.

Such centres are common across Pakistan, where children attend extra lessons outside regular school hours.

"If negligence, carelessness or any violation of the law is established, those responsible will face strict legal action," Bokhari said in a statement.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his grief over the deaths and called for stronger safety measures to prevent similar tragedies.

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News Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari Lahore