A tragic incident unfolded in central China’s Henan province as at least 13 students lost their lives in a school dormitory fire, according to official media reports on Saturday.
The fire at Yingcai School in Henan’s Yanshanpu village was reported to the local fire department at 11 pm local time on Friday night, as detailed by The People’s Daily. All the victims were third-grade students, confirmed by a teacher to Zonglan News, a state-backed media outlet from Hebei province.
CCTV, China’s state broadcaster, reported that one person rescued from the scene is undergoing treatment in the hospital. Rescuers swiftly arrived, extinguishing the flames by 11:38 pm.
The school’s manager, located near Nanyang City, has been detained, and an investigation is underway, as reported by BBC. However, official channels have not disclosed further details about the victims’ identities or the fire’s cause.
The boarding school primarily serves elementary-grade students, including an attached kindergarten. Tragically, fatal fires in China are not uncommon, often attributed to lax enforcement of building and safety standards. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the persistent challenges surrounding fire safety in the country.
Source: PTI
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