Nine people were killed and two others remained trapped after the roof of a school gymnasium collapsed in Qiqihar city of northeast China's Heilongjiang province. 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. Those in charge of the construction company have been taken into police custody, the Xinhua news agency report said.

Source: The Telegraph July 24, 2023 22:28 UTC