In a devastating incident that unfolded on Friday night, a fire at Yingcai School in Yingshanpu village, Fangcheng county, Henan province claimed the lives of 13 individuals - all third-grade students - with one additional person sustaining injuries.

The tragic event was reported to local fire services at 11:00 pm.

According to reports from state news agency Xinhua, the fire response team swiftly arrived at the location and managed to extinguish the flames by 11:38 pm. The injured individual is reported to be in stable condition and is receiving treatment at a local hospital.

Yingcai School, situated approximately 20 km from the county seat, covers an extensive area of 2.3 hectares, including both primary and preschool sections.

The institution, operating under a boarding system with small class teaching, has been recognized as an "Advanced Unit of Social Forces in Running Schools" for several consecutive years.

Local media outlet Zonglan News highlighted that the victims were primarily third-graders, around nine years old, as mentioned by teachers at the school.

The school bus had reportedly taken most of the children home for the weekend, leaving around a dozen on campus on Friday night. Unfortunately, many of these students had families living far away or parents working elsewhere, making it challenging for them to be picked up.

Eyewitness accounts shared with Beijing Youth Daily described the harrowing scene during the fire, with intense flames, smoke visible from a distance, and heart-wrenching cries for help from the students. Nearby business owners rushed to the scene, witnessing the swift response of fire engines and ambulances.

In the wake of this tragic incident, leaders from Henan province and the nearby city of Nanyang established a command center at the site, launching an investigation into the cause of the fire. According to Xinhua, the person in charge of the school has been taken into custody as authorities manage the aftermath.