This photo taken on Jan 20, 2024 shows the damage of a fire on a school dormitory in the county of Fangcheng, Nanyang city, central China's Henan province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

ZHENGZHOU - Thirteen students were killed and another one injured in a fire that took place in a school dormitory in the county of Fangcheng, Nanyang city, central China's Henan province, on Friday night, according to local authorities Saturday.

At 11 pm on Friday, the local fire department received an alarm about a fire in a male dormitory of Yingcai School in Yanshanpu village, Dushu town. Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly, and the flames were extinguished at 11:38 pm.

The dormitory room housed approximately 30 boarding students when the fire broke out. Except for the 14 who suffered casualties, the remaining students were safely evacuated.

The injured individual is currently receiving treatment at the hospital and is in stable condition.

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The dormitory room housed approximately 30 boarding students when the fire broke out. Except for the 14 who suffered casualties, the remaining students were safely evacuated

Yingcai School is a private school with a history of more than 10 years. It primarily enrolls students from nearby rural areas, including some left-behind children.

A work team was sent to Henan during the night to guide rescue and follow-up work, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Saturday.

The ministry called for efforts to screen for and rectify hidden fire risks in densely populated places to resolutely prevent the occurrence of major accidents.

According to a parent of a student at the school, after the incident, her child was brought home by village officials around 6 am on Saturday, and the return-to-school date is unknown.

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She said that female students reside on the second floor of the dormitory, while male students stay on the third floor.

The school has an affiliated kindergarten. Before the incident occurred, the kindergarten's children had already returned home for the weekend.

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Investigation into the incident has been launched by local authorities, and the person in charge of the school has been brought under control by police.