Gym ceiling collapse traps more than 10 in NE China school

As of 10:25 pm on Sunday, eleven people have been rescued after a collapse on Sunday afternoon at a school in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province. Rescue work is still underway, the National Fire and Rescue Administration said on its official WeChat account.

The accident occurred at No 34 Middle School in Longsha district, trapping at least 10 people, Xinhua News reported.

After receiving the emergency call at 2:56 pm, the Qiqihar fire rescue command center immediately dispatched a team, including 39 fire trucks, 159 firefighters and four sniffer dogs to the scene.

At 3:10 pm, the rescue team arrived and determined the roof of the gymnasium had completely collapsed.

The collapsed gymnasium has a construction area of around 1,200 square meters, with a steel frame and a concrete slab for the roof.

The injured have been sent to the hospital for treatment and the cause of the accident is under further investigation.