<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Ten people have died and one remained trapped after the roof of a school gym collapsed in northeastern China, state media reported Monday.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The gym at the No. 34 Middle School in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province collapsed just before 3 pm (0700 GMT) on Sunday, state news agency Xinhua said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As of 5:30 am Monday, 14 people had been pulled from the wreckage, state broadcaster CCTV said, "among whom four were pulled out without vital signs, and six died after treatment failed".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Footage aired by CCTV showed the entire roof collapsed onto the gym and rescue workers picking through the debris.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"A search and rescue operation involving nearly 160 firefighters and 39 fire trucks has been launched," CCTV said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An initial investigation into the collapse found that construction workers had placed perlite -- a form of volcanic glass -- on the roof, Xinhua said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heavy rain then led the perlite to expand, causing the roof to collapse, it added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Those in charge of the construction company have been taken into police custody," the state news agency reported.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the worst such accidents took place in 2015 in Tianjin, where a gigantic explosion at a chemical warehouse killed at least 165 people. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>