School stadium roof collapses in China, trapping at least 10
- Rescuers pull eight people from the rubble as search continues for other survivors
- Girls volleyball team reportedly among an unknown number of people in the facility at the time
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Dozens of emergency workers were combing through the wreckage of a school stadium in northeastern China on Sunday after the structure’s concrete roof collapsed, trapping more than 10 people.
The roof of the stadium at the No 34 Middle School in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, gave way on Sunday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Photos online showed the facility’s walls were also damaged.
Eight people were rescued by 5.30pm.
Authorities offered no details about those still trapped but the school’s girls volleyball team was training in the stadium when it caved in, Chongqing-based news service Cqnews.net reported, citing unnamed eyewitnesses.
Emergency services were notified about the collapse at 2.56pm and sent 39 fire trucks and 159 rescuers to the scene.
Medical and public security services also responded.
Photos circulating online showed several rescuers pulling a young adult from the debris.
The school, in Longsha district, could not be reached immediately for comment.
A staff member at Longsha’s emergency response bureau declined to offer updates, saying only that a full-scale rescue operation was under way.
Qiqihar, Heilongjiang’s second-largest city with a population of 5 million, reported heavy rain on Sunday, with around 30mm falling in downtown areas.
According to local media reports, Qiqihar No 1 Hospital treated seven students for their injuries but there was no indication of their condition.
