Heilongjiang: three people die after gym roof collapses in second incident in three months
Heavy snow caused the collapse of the roof of the Yuecheng Fitness Gymnasium, in Jiamusi. Seven people were inside at the time, including children. Two were hospitalised. In July, a similar incident occurred in another school in the same province, killing at least 11 people.
Beijing (AsiaNews) – The sudden collapse of the roof of the Yuecheng Fitness Gymnasium in the city of Jiamusi, Huanan County, in China’s northeastern province of Heilongjiang, has caused the death of at least three people.
Rescuers worked for hours in an attempt to free the people still trapped under the collapsed roof. The search continued for those missing but all efforts were in vain, ending this morning, while two students were hospitalised.
Seven people were in the building at the time of the collapse, including children.
State-run news channel CCTV reported the Yuecheng Stadium in Huanan County collapsed at around 7:40 pm last night. The two-storey sports facility covered a structural area of 2,000 square metres.
According to a preliminary inquiry, the 500 square-metre basketball court located on the second floor collapsed, ending up in a pile of rubble.
A video posted online after the incident shows the snow-covered collapsed stadium, ambulances waiting outside to pick up the injured and survivors.
A second video published by The Paper, a media outlet run by the Shanghai government, shows a woman running towards the collapsed area crying and shouting, "my son is still inside".
Chinese official media reported the accident, blaming the collapse on heavy snowfall that hit the area in the previous hours. As a result, schools were shut down and road traffic was chaotic.
An eyewitness later said that almost the whole roof of the stadium collapsed, damaging several cars parked in the area.
This is not the first incident of this kind in Heilongjiang. Another gymnasium at a middle school in Qiqihar collapsed in July.
The next day, the head of Huanan County inspected Yuecheng Stadium and other venues in the county, reporting no particular critical issues that required upgrade to meet safety standards.
The collapse of the gym last July occurred while the local volleyball team from the Qiqihar Middle School N. 34 was training. Ten students and one coach were killed.
The subsequent investigation found that building material had been stacked on the roof, absorbing rain water, which led the structure to collapse.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the victims' parents – who were kept under close surveillance by police to prevent protests or public displays of dissent – accused officials of failing to communicate and misconduct.
Local residents placed flowers, food and drinks outside the school, posting videos and images on social media, which were immediately removed or blocked by government censors.
“I remember that safety inspections were conducted on various gymnasiums after the Qiqihar No. 34 Middle School gymnasium collapsed in July," said a netizen on China's Weibo social media platform. "What was found? Another gymnasium collapse occurred in three months."
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