13 Dead in China School Fire

Thirteen people have died in a school dormitory fire in central China's Henan province, the official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
"Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly and the flames were extinguished at 11"38 p.m.," Xinhua said.
A report in the Hebai Daily said a teacher confirmed that all the victims were students from the same third-grade class of nine- and 10-year-olds.
Local authorities are investigating the fire's cause, and at least one person linked to the school has been detained, Xinhua said.
Fires and other deadly accidents 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 July, 11 people died after the roof of a school gym collapsed in the country's northeast.
The month before, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China left 31 dead and prompted official pledges of a nationwide campaign to promote workplace safety.
In April, a hospital fire in Beijing killed 29 people and forced desperate survivors to jump out of windows to escape.