Accountability needed for gym collapse tragedy

The last of the 15 people trapped under the rubble of the No 34 Middle School gymnasium's roof, which collapsed on Sunday, in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, had been found by 10 am on Monday. The girl showed no signs of life. The total number of deaths in the accident has reached 11. The dead were 10 volleyball players of the school and their coach.

A probe into the tragedy has primarily concluded that the construction company that built a complex near the collapsed roof was to blame; the roof collapsed under the weight of pearlstone that the company had piled on its roof. Following heavy rainfall, the pearlstone absorbed so much water that the roof could not withstand the load and crumbled.

There are strict standards for piling construction materials. Heavy material that becomes heavier on absorbing water should not be kept on rooftops, let alone a net-like gymnasium roof that is not so strong. Reports even quoted some locals as saying they were worried about so many things being piled on the gymnasium roof.