Baqaei expressed sympathy with the people and government of neighboring and Muslim Pakistan and prayed to God for the recovery and good health of those injured in the incident.
The roof of a private school collapsed on Thursday in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least 17 children and a teacher and injuring more than three dozen others.
Several children remained trapped beneath the rubble as rescue teams worked to remove debris and reach those buried. A hospital spokesman confirmed the casualties and said some of the injured were in critical condition.
In July, a roof collapsed at a tutoring center under construction in Lahore, killing four schoolchildren. Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced, substandard materials are used, and safety regulations are frequently disregarded to cut costs.