Six held over fatal stampede at Hubei primary school

Six people have been arrested after a stampede at a primary school saw four children die in an incident in which they were crushed against a locked gate.

The six - including the school principal - were among 12 people being investigated for the accident in Laohekou, in the central province of Hubei, a local official said on Thursday.

The stampede happened at 6 am on Wednesday when large numbers of pupils left their school dormitory, on the fourth floor, and attempted to exit the block. The ground floor gate was closed, resulting in the crush.

Another seven pupils were injured in the stampede, although the ages of those involved was unclear.

“Six people have been sent to judicial organs from a total of 12 people who are under investigation,” said a local government official surnamed Zhong.

The accident has provoked anger on China’s Internet message boards.