7 dead in Thailand school roof collapse, including 4 children sheltering from rainstorm
- Seven people died and 18 were injured when storm winds and rain caused a metal roof on a school’s activity centre to collapse, officials said
- Schools in the country often have a sports pitch with an open-sided roof to protect youngsters from the fierce tropical sun while they play
The children, aged between six and 13, had gone inside the activity centre at the Wat Nern Por primary school in Phichit province to shelter from the rain, according to Facebook posts from the official disaster prevention department and public relations office in the province, 300km (185 miles) north of Bangkok.
At about 6:30pm local time the storm struck, according to local media, and heavy rain and high winds caused the roof to suddenly collapse.
The fatally injured adults were two parents and a janitor, the provincial office of public relations said, adding that 18 people were injured.
“In a blink of an eye, I heard a sound just like in a war zone and in a span of five seconds, the storm reached me,” a witness told ThaiPBS.
“All the houses have been damaged by the storm but this arena just completely collapsed,” local mayor Kannika Intarakul told the broadcaster.