The site of the accident at Bản Phung Campus, Khánh Yên Thượng Primary School, Văn Bàn District, that killed three preschool and primary school students and injured three others. -VNA/VNS photo Thanh Hải

 LÀO CAI - Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has extended his condolences to the families of three children killed by a school gate collapse that also injured three others at a primary school in Lào Cai Province on Monday.

On Monday afternoon, the iron gate of Bản Phung Campus, Khánh Yên Thượng Primary School, Văn Bàn District suddenly collapsed, killing three preschool and primary school students and injured three others. According to the people living nearby, the students were playing together and clinging to the 2m high school gate when it suddenly collapsed.

The Prime Minister ordered the People's Committee of Lào Cai Province to direct agencies to give the best treatment to the injured students, investigate to find the causes of the accident, determine the responsibilities of concerned organisations and individuals, and report to the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Education and Training, the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must inspect and review the quality of school facilities, especially in the rainy season, ensuring safety for students right from the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

Nguyễn Thành Sinh, Secretary of Văn Bàn District Party Committee, said that the children injured by the school gate collapse after being cared for by doctors of the district general hospital had regained their consciousness and their lives were not threatened.

Immediately after the incident, local provincial and district leaders visited the injured children at the hospital and gave each VNĐ1 million.

They also visited and provided money to the families of the pupils who died in the collapse and directed the functional departments to handle the consequences of the accident. VNS