AT least 13 schoolchildren have died in a dormitory fire in central China’s Henan province, the official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
The blaze at the Yingcai School in Henan’s Yanshanpu village was reported to the local fire department at 11:00pm (1500 GMT) Friday night, Xinhua said.
Thirteen students have been confirmed dead and one injured, the news agency said.
A teacher at the school told state-run Hebei Daily that all the victims were from the same third-grade class of nine and 10-year-olds.
“Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly and the flames were extinguished at 11:38 p.m.,” Xinhua said.
The injured survivor “is currently receiving treatment at the hospital and is in stable condition”, according to Xinhua.
Local authorities are investigating the fire’s cause, and at least one person linked to the school has been detained, Xinhua said.
China National Radio reported that some windows on the school’s dormitory building were smashed, and published photos showing police cordoning off a nearby area.
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