Eighteen primary school students
were buried Thursday when a landslide hit their school in southwest China as
they studied during a holiday to make up classes lost due to deadly earthquakes
last month.
were buried Thursday when a landslide hit their school in southwest China as
they studied during a holiday to make up classes lost due to deadly earthquakes
last month.
The students at the school (Youfang
Primary School) would not normally have been in school this week as China is on
a week-long national holiday. But they were making up for lost time caused by
disruptions stemming from two September 7 earthquakes that struck Yiliang
county where Zhenhe is located, killing 81 people and leaving hundreds injured.
Primary School) would not normally have been in school this week as China is on
a week-long national holiday. But they were making up for lost time caused by
disruptions stemming from two September 7 earthquakes that struck Yiliang
county where Zhenhe is located, killing 81 people and leaving hundreds injured.
The landslide struck at 0800 am
(0000 GMT) as students were arriving for classes, reports said.
(0000 GMT) as students were arriving for classes, reports said.
“More than 30 students were supposed
to attend classes today and there were 18 pupils at school before the class
started this morning,” a local official, who gave only his surname, Yang, told
AFP.
to attend classes today and there were 18 pupils at school before the class
started this morning,” a local official, who gave only his surname, Yang, told
AFP.
“The school is just one
single-storey teaching building.”
single-storey teaching building.”
A family of three managed to escape
before the landslide hit, Xinhua reported, but gave no other
details on them.
before the landslide hit, Xinhua reported, but gave no other
details on them.
Local government officials moved
local residents to safer ground after the disaster and dispatched rescue teams to
the area, it added.
local residents to safer ground after the disaster and dispatched rescue teams to
the area, it added.