At least 14 schoolchildren were killed and eight others injured after the roof of an under-construction tutoring centre collapsed in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday.
Faisal Kamran, Senior police official, said rescue teams were continuing search operations amid concerns that more children could still be trapped beneath the rubble.
The injured children were taken to a hospital for treatment, he said, adding that authorities had arrested the owner of the tutoring centre and another individual in connection with the incident.
According to Kamran, the tutoring centre was operating in an aging building, and the roof of its unfinished second floor apparently gave way due to poor-quality construction.
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. In a statement, he conveyed condolences to the bereaved families, prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and stressed the need for effective safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Building collapses occur frequently in Pakistan because construction standards are often inadequately enforced. Many buildings are erected using substandard materials, while safety regulations are routinely overlooked in an effort to reduce construction costs, making such accidents a recurring concern across the country.