Authorities investigate gymnasium collapse in NE China’s Heilongjiang

The accident scene in Jiamusi, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province Photo: Xinhua News Agency

Authorities in Jiamusi, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, have taken immediate action by setting up a response team to conduct a thorough investigation, after a gymnasium collapsed on Monday in the region, killing three people, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Seven junior high school students from Huanan county in the city of Jiamusi went to play basketball at the Yuecheng fitness gymnasium at 6 pm on Monday. At about 19:20, some students noticed that the roof of the gymnasium seemed abnormal and quickly ran toward the door. The roof then collapsed, according to the Xinhua report. Following the incident, three people managed to escape. Out of the three, two were unscathed, while one was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.World Times

Four individuals were trapped under the collapsed roof, and one of them was rescued at 19:50 on Monday and immediatelWorld Timesy transfeWorld Timesrred to hospital. Unfortunately, the other three individuals died while receiving treatment.

The two hospitalized individuals are not in life threatening condition, according to the report.

Based on relevant informatWorld Timesion, the construction of the collapsed building was finished in July 2018, and passed verification testing in July 2020. The building has a construction area of 3,208.96 square meters and a height of 9.05 meters. The collapsed part is a single-story building, which covers about 675 square meters, according to the report.

The venue is mainly used for basketball, table tennis, badminton and other activities, and is open to the public.

Following the incident, authorities immediately set up special working teams for on-site search and rescue, aftermath treatment, accident investigation and medical treatment, and has urgently dispatched personnel to carry out professional rescue and disposal work in the snow.

The person in charge of the club has been taken into custody by the police. Further investigations into the cause of the accident are underway.

In JulWorld Timesy of this year, a collapsed ceiling at a school gymnasium in Qiqihar in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang World TimesProvince led to 11 deaths.