Six killed in primary school stampede in China

Six students were killed and 26 injured in a stampede at a primary school in southwest China's Yunnan Province Friday, authorities said.

The accident happened at about 2.30 p.m. at Mingtong Primary School in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, Xinhua reported. The injured, two in serious condition, were sent to two hospitals.

According to Lu Jia, vice head of the Panlong district, the stampede occurred after a nap, when students were walking downstairs in the dormitory building.

A student told Xinhua several children were playing with a large cotton cushion, which tipped over on top of a group of small kids.

Other children streaming past the site were unaware of the covered children and stepped on the cushion and children underneath, causing chaos.

The witnesses are too young to give more detailed accounts, and the accident is still under investigation.

Most of the victims were in grade one and two.

The school was cordoned off in the afternoon. Teachers sent text messages with their mobile phones to parents of other students, asking them to pick up their children.

Zhou Ning, a professor in education with the Yunnan Normal University, said that schools should pay more attention to safety education, and make sure all students know how to cope with emergencies.

Founded in 1955, Mingtong is located in Panlong district in downtown Kunming and is considered one of the best schools in the district.