- Authorities detained the school manager, and they are currently conducting an investigation.
- The victims were from the same third-grade class.
- Police cordoned off the school’s surroundings and patrolled the area.
A tragic incident unfolded at the Yingcai School in Yanshanpu village, Henan province, central China, on Friday night, claiming the lives of thirteen schoolchildren aged nine and 10, according to the country’s state news agency. Authorities have detained the school’s manager, located near Nanyang city, and are currently conducting an investigation.
A teacher at the school, as reported by state-run Hebei Daily, revealed that all the victims were from the same third-grade class. One additional person is receiving treatment in the hospital and is in stable condition. Approximately 30 students were in the dormitory during the fire, but firefighters successfully evacuated the remaining students. The fire was extinguished less than an hour after authorities were alerted.
Official channels have not disclosed further details about the identities of the deceased or the cause of the fire. State media photos depict some smashed windows in the dormitory building, with the school’s surroundings cordoned off, and patrolled by police officers.
Xinhua reported that the privately-run school, catering to nursery and primary-age pupils in nearby rural areas, had been in operation for ten years. Nursery children enrolled in the school had already returned home for the weekend.
Unfortunately, fatal fires in China are not uncommon, often attributed to lax enforcement of building and safety standards. In a similar incident in November, 26 people lost their lives in a large fire at an office building in Luliang City, Shanxi province.
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