Chinese citizens have taken to the Internet to express their concern following the second gymnasium collapse in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang in the past few months.
Three persons were killed by the cave-in on Monday evening, which followed days of abnormally cold weather and snowfall.
While the identities of the victims remain undisclosed, it was reported that minors were present in the gym during the incident.
Rescuers scrambled through snow-covered concrete debris on a basketball court in search of survivors, as captured on online video.
An additional video that was extensively disseminated on Chinese social media platforms captured a woman running towards a building down an icy street while yelling that her son was inside the building.
Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that one individual was severely injured and three others were killed inside the Yuecheng Gym Stadium in Jiamusi city.
The authorities stated that they had apprehended the gym's administrator but provided no additional information. The exact cause of the second-floor collapse is currently unknown.
As word of the catastrophe circulated via the internet, numerous individuals immediately drew parallels to a gymnasium collapse that occurred earlier this year in the province, resulting in the loss of eleven lives.
Days of torrential rain in July caused the concrete roof of a school gymnasium in the city of Qiqihar to collapse.
Authorities reported that contractor-delivered construction materials had burdened down the roof and inspected neighbouring structures in the aftermath of the tragedy.
On the contrary, on Tuesday, inquisitive members of the public demanded explanations. Not too long has passed since the catastrophe at the Qiqihar stadium; in its aftermath, checks were implemented everywhere; for what purpose were they implemented? This appears to be a human-caused catastrophe, one user wrote in an exceedingly popular comment with over 9,000 likes.
"Heilongjiang; the stadium, once more." "Deplorable quality, the murderer endeavour," wrote an additional user.
Immediate statements from authorities regarding whether the Yuecheng Gym Stadium was inspected following the July incident are unavailable.
An examination by sources of the county authorities' social media account, however, revealed a post that claimed authorities had inspected the stadium's safety in July.
Online, provincial residents have demanded that authorities conduct additional inspections of sizable public facilities, among other measures.
One of the remarks read, "It is hoped that the authorities will promptly inspect these stadiums and ensure that no further catastrophes occur."
China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang, is situated in the northeastern region of the nation, which has been experiencing an extreme cold snap in recent days.
Conditions like a blizzard are currently being experienced by residents, which has resulted in the cancellation of a large number of flights and trains as well as the closing of schools.
Residents have been given the instruction to remain inside by the authorities in the area because of the severe weather warnings.
According to sources, further blizzard conditions are expected to develop in the province of Heilongjiang.
These outlets have also issued warnings on roads that have iced over and power lines that have fallen.
