At least 14 schoolchildren have been killed after the roof of a tutoring centre in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore collapsed, according to officials.

A teacher and eight other children were injured and being treated at a hospital, while police said the owner of the centre and another person had been arrested.

Medical sources said the children killed in the collapse were aged between around four and 12, according to the AFP news agency.

Senior police official Faisal Kamran said rescuers were searching through the rubble after receiving reports that more children could be trapped beneath the debris, the Reuters news agency reported.

He added the centre was housed in an ageing building and that the roof of an unfinished second floor apparently collapsed because of poor construction quality.

‘Precious lives’

Workers had been repairing tiles on the building when the roof gave way and crushed the youngsters, a witness told AFP.

Broadcaster Geo News aired images of uniformed rescuers and civilians using shovels and their hands to dig through dirt and rubble in the partially collapsed building.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his “grief over the loss of precious lives in the collapse of a tuition centre roof in Lahore’s Kahna area”.

Sharif “prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed the authorities to provide them with every possible medical assistance”, according to a statement released by his office.

Khan said in a statement that “those responsible for the incident will be found through a transparent, unbiased and immediate investigation”.

Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly due to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials. (Al Jazeera/ AFP)

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At least 98 people have died after the roof collapsed at a nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic, authorities said.

At least 160 people were injured, with crews searching for potential survivors in the rubble of the Jet Set club in Santo Domingo, said Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Centre of Emergency Operations.

“We continue clearing debris and searching for people,” he said. “We’re going to search tirelessly for people.”

Rescue workers were prioritising three areas in the club, he said, adding: “We’re hearing some sounds.”

The cause of the roof collapse is not yet clear.

Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northern Montecristi province, is among those to have died.

Octavio Dotel, a former MLB pitcher who won a world championship with the St Louis Cardinals and played for 13 teams in a 15-year career, was also among the victims.

Dotel, 51, died en route to a local hospital after being pulled from the debris, a spokesman for the nation’s sports ministry said

Meanwhile, the injured include Dominican singer Rubby Perez, who was performing when the roof collapsed.

His manager Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the concert began shortly before midnight, with the roof collapsing almost an hour later, killing the group’s saxophonist.

Mr Paulino said: “It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner.”

He added that he initially thought there had been an earthquake.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader wrote on X: “We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred. All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”

Mr Abinader arrived at the scene and hugged those looking for friends and family, some with tears streaming down their faces.

He did not speak to reporters.

An official with a megaphone stood outside the club imploring the large crowd, which had gathered to search for friends and relatives, to give ambulances space.

“You have to cooperate with authorities… please,” he said.

“We are removing people.”

At one hospital where the injured were taken, an official stood outside reading aloud the names of survivors as a crowd gathered around her and shouted out the names of their loved ones. (Sky News)

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New Delhi, Flight departures at the Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 were suspended till 2 pm on Friday after a portion of its roof collapsed due to heavy rains, killing one person, according to sources.

Five people were injured in the incident that occurred around 5 am.

The sources said flight departures at T1, which has only domestic flight operations, have been suspended till 2 pm and the airport operator is looking to temporarily shift operations from T1 to T2 and T3.

The flight departures were suspended soon after the roof collapse incident. Passengers who were already inside the terminal boarded their flights.

The departures were completely suspended around 7:30 am. Flight arrivals have not been impacted, the sources said.

“Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of the Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected,” a Delhi International Airport Limited spokesperson said in a statement.

As a result of this incident, the spokesperson said, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended and check-in counters have been closed as a safety measure.

“We sincerely regret this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience caused.” the spokesperson said.

In a post on X, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said that he was monitoring the situation and the injured have been shifted to the hospital.

“Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1.

“The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,” he said.

In a statement, an IndiGo spokesperson said flight operations are impacted due to structural damage at T1 due to adverse weather conditions.

“This has led to flight cancellations in Delhi as passengers are not able to enter the terminal. Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline also said the unplanned situation has led to operations across the network being impacted.

“Customers are advised to keep a track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport,” it said.

SpiceJet said in a post on X that flights have been cancelled as T1 will remain partially closed for operations until further notice. (Hindustan Times)

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