CHINA

Three School Officials, Staff Jailed Over Dorm Fire That Killed 13 Students in Henan

Published: Dec. 20, 2025 4:18 a.m. GMT+8

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The Yingcai School in Yanshanpu village of Fangcheng county, Henan province.

A Chinese court on Friday sentenced three school officials to prison over a deadly dormitory fire that killed 13 children last year in central Henan province.

The Fangcheng County People’s Court convicted the actual controller of Yingcai School, Li Yu, the school’s principal, Xu Xiangyang, and dormitory supervisor Jia Xia of causing a major safety accident at an educational facility, the court said in a statement.

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Three school officials were sentenced to 6–7 years in prison for a 2024 dormitory fire in Henan that killed 13 children and injured four.
The fire was sparked by an 8-year-old using a lighter; investigations found serious safety violations, overcrowding, and illegal school operations.
Each victim's family received about 1.3 million yuan in compensation; officials are barred from education jobs for five years post-sentence.

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What Happened When

Around 10:45 p.m., January 19, 2024：: A fire broke out in a boys’ dormitory at Yingcai School, Yanshanpu village, Fangcheng county, Henan province, killing 13 students and injuring four others.

15 minutes after 10:45 p.m., January 19, 2024：: Firefighters received the emergency call and rushed to the scene of the fire.

After January 19, 2024：: The school reached compensation agreements with families of the victims, paying about 1.3 million yuan to the relatives of each deceased student. Payments were completed in January 2024.

In 2024：: An official investigation into the fire was conducted, determining the cause and citing multiple safety failures.

In 2024：: Authorities imposed criminal measures on five school-related individuals. Two were later cleared of criminal responsibility after investigators determined they were not involved in day-to-day management.

In 2025：: Prosecutors proceeded against Li Yu, Xu Xiangyang, and Jia Xia, holding them responsible for safety lapses that led to the fire.

December 20, 2025：: Fangcheng County People’s Court sentenced Li Yu, Xu Xiangyang, and Jia Xia to prison over the deadly dormitory fire, and barred them from education-related jobs for five years after their sentences.

AI generated, for reference only