Heavy rainfall is blamed for the Peshawar disaster as authorities investigate and arrest the owner.
At least 32 children and one teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday morning,
Dozens of others were injured in the disaster at Al-Khair Education Centre, with several victims remaining under medical observation.
The collapse prompted an emergency medical response, a major rescue operation and an investigation into the building's structural safety.
Heavy overnight rainfall destabilized the roof of the two-story school building before it collapsed, local rescue official Bilal Ahmed told CNN.
The school, located in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, reportedly had approximately 350 registered students.
Initial reports placed the death toll between 28 and 29, but the number subsequently rose to at least 33 fatalities, including 32 children and one teacher.
Lady Reading Hospital received the victims and declared an emergency as medical personnel treated the injured.
Hospital figures indicated that approximately 50 children sustained injuries, while earlier accounts placed the number above 50.
Rescue 1122 Peshawar reported recovering 47 children from the rubble during its operations.
Officials initially said that 95% of the debris had been cleared, with searches continuing for possible survivors.
Later accounts differed over whether everyone trapped had been recovered.
Police arrested the school's owner and launched an investigation into the collapse, according to Peshawar police official Muhammad Ali.
President Asif Ali Zardari called for a comprehensive investigation, while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar expressed condolences and emphasized the government's responsibility to protect children.
The disaster has renewed concerns about construction safety in Pakistan, where weak enforcement of building regulations and substandard materials have contributed to structural failures.
Earlier reports documented a roof collapse at a private tutoring facility in Lahore that killed at least 14 children.
The Peshawar tragedy also follows a hospital fire in Islamabad that killed 14 newborns and exposed serious deficiencies in emergency preparedness.
Authorities have not yet announced the final findings of the school collapse investigation.