8 killed in crowded stairway during 400-person stampede

BEIJING - It was raining hard, and the hundreds of children leaving their evening classes raced down the narrow stairway closest to their dormitory.

Somehow, someone stumbled – and the ensuing crush of bodies left eight children dead.

Television footage showed a small pool of blood on one of the landings of the five-story building shortly after Monday night’s stampede, which raised new concerns about safety in China’s pressure-cooker education system.

One student told state media that the tangle of people reached as high as the third floor.
By Tuesday morning, students were using the stairs again as classes resumed after a moment of silence, China Central Television reported.

The stampede in Xiangxiang city, Hunan province, once again exposed how China’s schools are packed with students but are built with little thought for their safety.

The private Yucai Middle School had been considered one of the city’s best.

More than 400 students were rushing out of Monday’s evening study session when some lost their footing in the 4-foot-wide stairwell, CCTV said.

Xinhua said the building had four exits, but most students were taking the closest stairway to their living quarters because of the heavy rain.

Seven boys and one girl, aged 11 to 14, were killed. Eight had serious injuries.