Photo: Collected –
Metropolis Desk-
Seven people, including four children, were killed when a roof over a school sports field collapsed in a storm in Thailand, officials said on Tuesday.
The children, aged between six and 13, had gone inside the activity centre at the Wat Nern Por primary school in Phichit province to shelter from the rain, according to Facebook posts from the official disaster prevention department and public relations office in the province, 300km (185 miles) north of Bangkok, reports South China Morning Post.
At about 6:30pm local time the storm struck, according to local media, and heavy rain and high winds caused the roof to suddenly collapse.
The fatally injured adults were two parents and a janitor, the provincial office of public relations said, adding that 18 people were injured.
“In a blink of an eye, I heard a sound just like in a war zone and in a span of five seconds, the storm reached me,” a witness told ThaiPBS.
“All the houses have been damaged by the storm but this arena just completely collapsed,” local mayor Kannika Intarakul told the broadcaster.
Schools in Thailand commonly have a sports pitch with an open-sided roof to protect children from the fierce tropical sun while they play.
A six-year-old boy was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries.
The injured remained in two hospitals, where they were receiving treatment. None were reported to be in a serious condition.
The incident comes as Thailand enters monsoon season, with heavy rain forecast for much of the country in the coming days.
The meteorological department issued a warning for heavy rain in upper Thailand this week. Monday was also the official start of the rainy season.
Safety and maintenance standards in Thailand are sometimes lax, and building collapses are not unknown.
Neighbouring Myanmar was recently battered by Cyclone Mocha, which swept across Rakhine state, killing 145 people.
