China: 11 Dead After Gymnasium Roof Collapse

Facts

• At least 11 are dead after a middle school gymnasium collapsed in China’s northeastern city of Qiqihar Sunday afternoon. According to the municipality's search and rescue headquarters, 19 people were in the gym during the collapse with four escaping and 15 remaining trapped at the time.¹
• The gym was being used by a girls' volleyball team, with eyewitnesses telling the media that most of the victims were children. Parents have reportedly criticized the school for a lack of communication during the rescue effort, which lasted until Monday morning.²
• One father complained that they told him his "daughter is gone" but that he couldn't identify her since "All the children had their faces covered with mud and blood when they were sent to the hospital." He also claimed that police were sent to monitor the parents but no one was sent to update them on their children.³
• According to local media, the construction company working on an adjacent project left perlite — [a form of volcanic glass] — on the roof of the gym. Following days of heavy rainfall, the perlite soaked up the rain, the weight of which led to the roof caving in.¹
• While the head of the construction company has reportedly been detained, people on social media called for an investigation into how the roof was built. The school was supposed to be inspected as part of a regulation implemented after many schools collapsed ahead of the Beijing Olympics, though it's unknown whether the facility had been checked yet.⁴
• As infrastructure incidents are not uncommon in China, this comes after a barbecue restaurant exploded last month, killing 31, and a coal mine collapsed, killing 53. Pres. Xi Jinping has called on all regions to "screen for and rectify all types of risks and hidden dangers."¹

Sources: ¹CNN, ²BBC News, ³Guardian, and ⁴New York Times.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Smart Cities Dive. China has a serious construction problem due to its architectural industry being in its infancy and contractors cutting regulatory corners. Unlike in the US or Europe, which have checks and balances between architects, general contractors, and material suppliers these internal controls are currently lacking in the PRC. Between corruption and lack of technical preparation, buildings are often left vulnerable to tragedies like this one.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. While mistakes were made resulting in this tragic collapse, the PRC government takes its construction regulations seriously, with penalties of up to seven years in prison for violating safety measures. The company at fault was highly successful, securing 17 projects in the past three years, including ten government projects — those responsible have tarnished their reputation and will be charged through investigation and due process.