Eleven people died when a school gym collapsed in northeast China. The last person still buried was found dead, Chinese state media report.
Aerial photos from Chinese state media show a completely collapsed roof: A gymnasium collapsed in the city of Qiqihar in northeast China’s Heilongjiang region. The hall belongs to a secondary school, Zhongxue in Chinese. This is a middle school for students aged 12 to 15.
According to Chinese state media, 19 people were said to have been in the hall at the time of the accident, and eleven were found dead. Four people were rescued from the rubble, another four were able to get themselves to safety in the collapse.
According to research by local media, the people in the hall are said to have been girls from a volleyball team. They are said to have trained there during the current school holidays.
cause of the accident possibly building material
Authorities are now investigating why the roof of the school gym may have collapsed. According to media reports, initial investigations have shown that workers illegally stored perlite rock on the roof of the sports hall. The material was therefore needed to build a new teaching building right next to the sports hall.
Perlite rock has a high water storage capacity. According to the investigations, the material had become soaked with water and gained weight due to the heavy rain, which led to the collapse of the roof. According to the information, those responsible for the construction company were taken into custody and further investigations are being carried out.