Kathmandu: Eleven people have died after the roof of a school gymnasium in north-east China collapsed while it was being used by a girls’ volleyball team, state media reports.
Many of the victims are children, eyewitnesses told local media, although this is yet to be officially confirmed, as reported by BBC.
Anguished parents have thronged a nearby hospital seeking updates.
Only eight of the 19 people who were inside the gym in the industrial province of Heilongjiang survived.
Police have detained the bosses at a local construction company, according to local media.
They have been accused of dumping perlite, a form of volcanic glass, on the roof of the gym while working on an adjacent building project.
Parents have criticised school officials, saying there had been a lack of proper communication on the rescue effort, which stretched until Monday morning.
Construction accidents are common in China and have been blamed on lax safety standards and poor enforcement.
In June, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in north-west China killed at least 31 people. A preliminary investigation found that a restaurant employee was replacing a broken valve on a liquefied gas tank when the blast occurred.
In April, a fire at a Beijing hospital killed 29 and led some desperate survivors flee by jumping out of the windows.
(News Source: BBC)