Update10 die in building accident at Beijing school

Ten people were killed and four others injured after scaffolding collapsed at a Beijing high school, according to media reports.

The accident happened at a construction site for a sports stadium at a high school affiliated with Tsinghua University at about 8am yesterday, the Beijing Times reported.

Xinhua said an initial investigation had found that steel bars, used to reinforce concrete structures, had collapsed and caused the accident, citing local authorities. It said police had detained several people responsible, but gave no details about their identities. The Times said the executive of the construction company had been detained by police.

Lessons at the school continued as normal, but pupils were not allowed out of classrooms, the newspaper said. A high school official said all the victims were building workers and that no teachers or students were involved in the accident.

The Beijing municipal propaganda bureau said the injured were in stable condition.