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• Heavy rain caused the perlite to expand and increase in weight, leading to the collapse.
• Rescue workers conducted operations to reach victims trapped in the debris.
• Investigation underway, and construction company personnel in police custody.

State media reported that eleven people lost their lives in northeastern China when the roof of a school gym in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, collapsed. According to the state news agency Xinhua, the collapse occurred due to construction workers illegally placing perlite, a type of volcanic glass, on the roof. As a result of heavy rain, the perlite expanded and became heavier, leading to the roof’s collapse. State broadcaster CCTV aired footage showing the entire concrete slab roof giving way.

Rescue workers, depicted in the footage, made efforts to reach the victims by breaking through large concrete chunks and twisted metal. They used tools like pneumatic jackhammers in their rescue operations. Tragically, a total of eleven people lost their lives in the accident. The gym at the No. 34 Middle School collapsed shortly before 3 pm (0700 GMT) on Sunday, with a total of nineteen people inside at the time of the incident. Four individuals managed to escape, while four others were pulled out alive from the debris.

State media reported that an in-depth investigation into the accident was underway, and those responsible for the construction company had been taken into police custody. The authorities aim to understand the causes and circumstances leading to the fatal collapse of the school gym’s roof.

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