The gymnasium roof collapsed under the weight of construction materials from another school building under renovation, a preliminary investigation has found.
By Li Xin and He Qitong
Eleven people have died after a school gymnasium roof collapsed in the northeast Heilongjiang province on Sunday. According to state broadcaster CCTV, there were 19 people in the gymnasium at the time, with four people escaping on their own.
As of Monday morning, all 19 people are accounted for following overnight rescue efforts.
Local rescue services received reports of the roof collapse at the No 34 Middle School in the city of Qiqihar at 2:56 p.m. on Sunday. Several witnesses told domestic outlet Cqnews.net that the school’s girls’ volleyball team was training in the gymnasium when the ceiling collapsed.
According to state media Xinhua News, a preliminary investigation found that the roof collapsed under the weight of construction materials placed on it from another nearby school building under construction, which was made heavier by rain. An in-depth investigation is underway.
Local police have detained the person in charge of the construction team for the school building, Xinhua reported. Provincial officials have pledged to carry out checks on building safety in other schools and public sports venues.
“The gymnasium was built in the 1990s. It is still constantly used now for students’ physical education classes, as well as serving as a training venue for both the school’s volleyball teams and those outside the school,” Jing Bo, a parent of a student at the school, told Sixth Tone.
Women’s volleyball has a long tradition in Qiqihar, the second-largest city in the province with a population of more than 5 million people. According to Jiao Haochi, a resident of the city, the No 34 Middle School’s girls’ volleyball team is well-known locally for training exceptional young talent.
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