At least 11 people have been killed after the roof of a school gymnasium collapsed amidst rains in Qiqihar City of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, officials said on Monday.

The roof collapse was reported at 2.56 pm Sunday, according to the provincial fire and rescue department.

Nineteen people were at the gymnasium covering about 1,200 square metres at the No. 34 Middle School in Longsha district when the accident occurred.

The municipal search and rescue headquarters said four people escaped the accident, and 15 were trapped All the 15 trapped were pulled out with the last person being found on Monday morning without vital signs, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The remaining four people escaped without life-threatening injuries.

A preliminary investigation suggested construction workers illegally placed perlite on the roof while constructing another teaching building adjacent to the gymnasium.

Under the influence of rainfall, the perlite was soaked in water and gained weight, resulting in the roof collapse.

According to local authorities, the gymnasium's walls have a grid structure, and the roof is made of concrete slabs.

An in-depth investigation is ongoing.

Those in charge of the construction company have been taken into police custody, the Xinhua news agency report said.

First Published:Jul 24, 2023 1:25 PM IST