The Ditible
A devastating fire at the Yingcai School in Henan’s Yanshanpu village has claimed the lives of thirteen people, all of whom were students from the same third-grade class, according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency.
The incident occurred on Friday night, with the local fire department receiving the distress call at 11 p.m. (1500 GMT). Swift response from rescuers managed to extinguish the flames by 11:38 p.m., preventing further escalation of the tragedy.
The injured survivor, whose identity remains undisclosed, is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
While Xinhua did not specify whether the victims included children, the Hebai Daily reported that a teacher confirmed all the casualties were students aged nine and ten from the same third-grade class.
Yanshanpu village, situated on the outskirts of Nanyang, a city with nearly 10 million residents, is now grappling with the aftermath of the tragic incident. Authorities are actively investigating the cause of the fire, and at least one person associated with the school has been detained, according to Xinhua.
Little information about the Yingcai School is publicly available, but social media videos from earlier times showed children of various ages, including kindergarteners, wearing smocks adorned with the school’s logo. Some footage also depicted older students engaged in calligraphy lessons.
The news of the fire has sparked outrage on Chinese social media platforms, with users expressing their condolences and calling for stringent action against any identified safety lapses. One Weibo user wrote, “It’s too scary, 13 children from 13 families, all gone in an instant. … if there is no severe punishment, their souls will not rest in peace.”
China has faced similar tragedies in the past, with fires and accidents often attributed to lax safety standards and poor enforcement. In November of the previous year, 26 people lost their lives in a fire at a coal company office in northern China’s Shanxi province. In July, 11 individuals died following the collapse of a school gym roof in the country’s northeast. These incidents have prompted calls for improved safety measures and stricter enforcement.
After the coal company fire in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need for the country to “conduct in-depth investigations of hidden risks in key industries, improve emergency plans and prevention measures.” The recent school dormitory fire underscores the ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety of citizens and the urgency of addressing systemic issues to prevent such tragedies in the future.
