Eleven people have died after the roof of a school gymnasium in north-east China collapsed while it was being used by a girls’ volleyball team.
Eyewitnesses told local media that many of the victims are children although this is yet to be officially confirmed.
Anguished parents have thronged a nearby hospital seeking updates.
Only eight of the 19 people who were inside the gym in the industrial province of Heilongjiang survived.
Police have detained the bosses at a local construction company, according to local media.
They have been accused of dumping perlite, a form of volcanic glass, on the roof of the gym while working on an adjacent building project.
The mineral had soaked up rain water following heavy downpours, which sent the roof into a collapse.
Parents have criticised school officials, saying there had been a lack of proper communication on the rescue effort, which stretched until this morning.
Many users on social media in the country echoed concerns questioning the treatment of worried parents by the police and officials at the scene
