Headmasters, teacher stand trial for fatal school stampede

Two school principals and one teacher stood trial Friday in southwest China's Yunnan Province for alleged involvement in a campus stampede that killed six students last year.

The hearing of Li Lan, headmaster of Mingtong Primary School in the capital city of Kunming; Yang Lin, the school's vice headmaster; and Li Pengcheng, a physical education teacher at Mingtong, was held at the in the city's Panlong District People's Court.

The People's Procuratorate of Panlong charged them with the crime of "causing a serious accident at an education facility."

According to the procuratorate, they were "directly responsible" for the tragedy and were aware of the safety hazards of the educational facility, but failed to take action, resulting in six students dead and more than 30 injured in a stampede on Sept. 26.

An investigation showed that the stampede occurred after a nap period, when students were walking downstairs in the dormitory building.

One of two large cushions, which had been placed against the wall in the corridor by Li Pengcheng, fell and blocked the way. Some children stumbled over the cushion and fell onto each other, leading to the stampede.

The three defendants apologized to students and parents at court. A verdict will be given on another day. Endi