11 killed after school gymnasium roof collapses in China

The concrete roof of a school gymnasium collapsed in China's Qiqihar city, killing 11 people, state media reported on Monday (Jul 24), with many victims believed to be young female volleyball players.

The concrete roof of a school gymnasium collapsed in China's Qiqihar city, killing 11 people, state media reported on Monday (Jul 24), with many victims believed to be young female volleyball players.

Authorities said the illegal stacking of materials on the roof may have caused it to cave in, Xinhua reported.

Initially 15 people were trapped underneath the rubble and state media learned at 10am (0200 GMT) that authorities had pulled out the last person buried beneath, a student, who showed no vital signs.

The collapse at the No 34 Middle School in Longsha District in Qiqihar, located in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, was reported at 2.56pm (6.56am GMT) on Sunday, according to the provincial fire and rescue department, Xinhua said.

A female volleyball team was training in the gymnasium when the incident happened, a father told China Youth Daily as he waited anxiously at the local hospital for news of his 16-year-old daughter.