13 Dead in School Dormitory Fire in China’s Henan Province

Thirteen people have died in a school dormitory fire in central China’s Henan province, the official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

The blaze at the Yingcai School in Henan’s Yanshanpu village was reported to the local fire department at 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) Friday night, Xinhua said.

Thirteen people have been confirmed dead, Xinhua said, adding that one person was injured.

“Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly and the flames were extinguished at 11:38 p.m.,” Xinhua said.

Deadly fires are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.

In November, 26 people died and dozens were sent to hospital after a fire at a coal company office in northern China’s Shanxi province.

In April, a hospital fire in Beijing killed 29 people and forced desperate survivors to jump out of windows to escape.

The injured survivor from Friday’s fire “is currently receiving treatment at the hospital and is in stable condition”, according to Xinhua.

Local authorities are investigating the fire’s cause, Xinhua said.