Pakistan orders school inspections after Peshawar roof collapse kills at least 34 children

Pakistan has ordered school inspections after the roof of a private school in Peshawar collapsed, Al Jazeera reports. Families are demanding justice. Relatives told Al Jazeera they had warned that the roof was leaking.

Al Jazeera put the dead at at least 34 children, and in one report at 35 people. Thousands gathered for funeral prayers in Peshawar, it reports. The Guardian also reported at least 34 schoolchildren and a female teacher dead. The BBC, citing hospital officials, and ABC News reported at least 33 killed.

The roof fell on Thursday during morning classes, according to The Guardian. It names the school as al-Khair, a privately run school. The Guardian said three more pupils were in critical condition. Earlier counts were lower: The New York Times first reported at least 20 children dead, and France 24 reported 27 pupils and a teacher.

Injury figures vary. NPR and Deutsche Welle, citing local authorities, reported more than 50 injured. The New York Times reported more than 40. The BBC reported more than a dozen.

The New York Times reported that the prime minister urged rescuers to speed up the search for survivors. BBC video from the scene includes a cracking sound heard moments before the collapse. Deutsche Welle says roof collapses have become increasingly common in Pakistan.