Pakistan, July 2 -- Lahore police have registered an FIR against the owners of a private tuition centre and the contractor after a roof collapse in Kahna claimed the lives of 14 children. The case has been registered under PPC sections 322 and 337-H, dealing with manslaughter and hurt by rash or negligent act. According to the FIR, the centre was being run inside a house whose roof was already in a dilapidated condition. More than 30 children were said to be inside the premises at the time.

This should not be treated as an accident in the ordinary sense. Roof and building collapses are common across the country, often because of poor safety standards, weak enforcement and substandard construction materials. Last July, a five-storey build...