Sunday afternoon eleven people They’re dead following the collapse of the roof of a school gymnasium in the northeastern Chinese city of Qiqihar while a middle school girls’ volleyball team was inside. Although the news has not yet been officially confirmed, some witnesses have told local newspapers that many of the dead were minors; several parents said they were unable to see their daughters, who were taken to hospital. Communications regarding the rescue operations, which lasted until Monday morning, were scarce and the names of the people who did not survive the collapse have not yet been released.
A preliminary investigation has revealed that the crash may have been caused by the presence of perlite, a form of volcanic glass, which had been illegally piled up on the roof to absorb rainwater. Accidents of this type are quite common in China and are often caused by lax safety standards.
