Ten people are dead and one person remains trapped after the roof of a school gym collapsed in north-eastern China, state media reports.
Key points:
- State media reported four people were pulled dead from the rubble, with six others dying after treatment
- State media reported heavy rain led to the glass roof collapsing
- Construction workers who installed the volcanic glass on the roof have been reportedly taken into custody
The gym at the Number 34 Middle School in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province collapsed just before 3pm on Sunday, state news agency Xinhua reported.
State broadcaster CCTV reported 14 people had been pulled from the wreckage, “among whom four were pulled out without vital signs, and six died after treatment failed”.
According to Xinhua, those in charge of the construction company which installed the roof have been taken into custody.
Footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV showed the entire roof had collapsed onto the gym, with rescue workers picking through the debris.
“A search and rescue operation involving nearly 160 firefighters and 39 fire trucks has been launched,” CCTV reported.
According to Xinhua, an initial investigation into the collapse found that construction workers had placed perlite — a form of volcanic glass — on the roof.
Heavy rain then led the perlite to expand, causing the roof to collapse, it said.
“Those in charge of the construction company have been taken into police custody,” the state news agency reported.
Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.
One of the worst such accidents took place in 2015 in Tianjin, where a gigantic explosion at a chemical warehouse killed at least 165 people.
AFP