State Council to supervise gym collapse investigation

The State Council will supervise the investigation of a gymnasium collapse that claimed 11 lives in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, per a notice released on Monday by the Ministry of Emergency Management.

On July 23, the ceiling of a gymnasium collapsed at No 34 Middle School in Qiqihar, while 17 members of the school volleyball team and two coaches were training.

The province is required to organize an accident investigation to identify the cause before taking out appropriate measures.

Before the case is closed, the draft report should be submitted to the State Council Work Safety Committee for review and approval. The province is responsible for approving the closure of the case and making it public. After the case is closed, the report and implementation should be reported and filed to the committee.

A preliminary investigation found construction workers had illegally stacked perlite, an insulation material, on the roof of the gymnasium during the construction of a teaching building next to the gym. Due to rainfall, the perlite soaked up water, which dramatically increased its weight and resulted in the roof's collapse.