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13 dead in China after fire breaks out at boarding school; owner detained
The boarding school caters to students in the elementary grades. It also has an attached kindergarten.
At least 13 people were killed in China's Henan province after a fire broke out in dorms at a boarding school for elementary students. According to China's state-run media, Xinhua, locals of the Yanshanpu village reported the blaze at Yingcai School at 11 pm on Friday.
"Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly and the flames were extinguished at 11:38 pm," the report said. However, it was not immediately clear how many of the dead were students. One person is reportedly injured and is being treated at a local hospital.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, and the owner of the school has been detained, CCTV reported.
According to the Beijing Youth Daily, Yingcai School caters to students in the elementary grades. It also has an attached kindergarten.
Social media outrage
People expressed their anger on Chinese social media platforms and called for punishment of those responsible for any safety lapses.
"It's too scary, 13 children from 13 families, all gone in an instant... if there is no severe punishment, their souls will not rest in peace," one person wrote on Weibo, according to news agency AFP.
Similar cases in China
Fire incidents and similar hazards are common in several provinces of China due to a lack of safety standards despite being one of the most densely populated countries, majorly east of the imaginary Hu Line.
26 people died in November last year after a fire broke out at a coal company in northern China's Shanxi province. A few months back, in July, 11 people died after the roof of a school gym collapsed in the country's northeast.
