At least 34 people have died following the collapse of a school building in Peshawar, Pakistan, where pupils were attending lessons, with children accounting for most of the victims.

The Independent, citing the BBC, reported that the disaster occurred at Al-Khair School in Dir Colony on Thursday. Emergency teams worked for several hours to recover victims from the wreckage.

Police chief Mian Saeed said the structure was too weak to bear the weight of additional construction. Rescue 1122 regional director Arif Khattak also described the school premises as a makeshift building.

Among those caught in the collapse was teacher Mahwish Zaman, who said she lost consciousness when the roof came down while she was teaching. She later regained consciousness in hospital, describing the experience as feeling as though the sky had fallen on her.

A schoolboy escaped the collapse after leaving his classroom to get water shortly before the building gave way, according to his father, Samiullah Khan. The father said he rushed to the school after hearing about the incident and helped rescue three girls trapped beneath the rubble.

Lady Reading Hospital confirmed 33 deaths, including a female teacher, while another child died at Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to the bereaved families and directed authorities to ensure that injured victims received medical treatment.