Most victims are children and adolescents.
A fire broke out at a martial arts school in Shanxu, Henan Province, on Friday morning. It is not yet known what caused the fire.
The situation of several victims is serious, local authorities reported.
Officials did not reveal the age of the victims, but Chinese media initially reported that children between the ages of seven and 16 had spent the night in school. 34 students are registered in the school.
An eyewitness told the media that he had heard children’s cries from the burning house.
Most of this message was subsequently censored and deleted from the Internet.
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