A devastating fire in a school dormitory in Yanshanpu village, Henan province, central China, has claimed the lives of thirteen people, according to reports from China’s Xinhua state news agency.
The tragic incident occurred on Friday night at a privately-run school catering to nursery and primary age pupils. The school manager has been detained, and an investigation is underway.
The fire, which was extinguished less than an hour after firefighters were alerted, has left one person hospitalized in stable condition.
Official details about the victims’ identities or the fire’s cause have not been disclosed.
China has witnessed several fatal fires due to inadequate enforcement of building and safety standards. In November, 26 people lost their lives in a large fire in Luliang City, Shanxi province.
Another tragic incident occurred in Beijing in April, where a hospital fire claimed at least 29 lives, mostly patients, leading to a police investigation resulting in 12 detentions.
The harrowing footage from that incident depicted people escaping the flames by climbing out of windows onto air conditioning units.