Roof collapses on girl’s volleyball team in China

In a devastating incident, the roof of a school gymnasium in north-east China collapsed while a girls’ volleyball team was using it, resulting in the loss of eleven lives. Reports suggest that many of the victims were children, leaving anguished parents flocking to a nearby hospital in search of updates.

The grim accident occurred in the industrial province of Heilongjiang, where a total of 19 people were inside the gym during the collapse. Tragically, only eight of them managed to survive the harrowing ordeal. The authorities acted swiftly and apprehended senior officials from a local construction company, holding them accountable for the disaster.

According to investigations, the construction company allegedly dumped perlite, a form of volcanic glass, onto the gym’s roof while working on a nearby building project. The mineral, upon being soaked by heavy downpours, led to the catastrophic roof failure at approximately 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT).

Rescue teams worked tirelessly amidst the debris, with the coach of the middle school’s girls’ volleyball team courageously calling out the students’ names during the rescue efforts, as reported by China National Radio.

In the wake of this tragedy, parents have voiced their frustrations, criticizing school officials for the perceived lack of proper communication regarding the rescue efforts that extended into Monday morning. The heart-wrenching incident has sent shockwaves across the community, prompting a collective outpouring of grief and mourning for the young lives lost.