On the 6th Day, Death Count In China Building Collapse Rises To 53
New Delhi: A building collapse one week ago in central China killed 53 people, state media reported Friday, as the search for the large pile of debris ended after rescuers found ten survivors. Rescuers used search dogs, hand tools, drones, and electronic life detectors.
The residential and commercial building in the city of Changsha suddenly collapsed on the afternoon of April 29. Aerial photos showed it pancaked to about the second story between other buildings about six stories tall. At least nine people have been arrested on suspicion of ignoring building codes or committing other violations.
Survivors were pulled out of the rubble over several days. The tenth and last one was pulled out shortly after midnight on Thursday, the sixth day after the collapse. All of the survivors were reportedly in good condition after being treated in a hospital.
The arrested include the building owner, three people in charge of design and construction, and five others who allegedly gave a false safety assessment for a guest house on the building’s fourth to sixth floors. The building also had residences, a cafe, and a restaurant.
An increase in the number of collapses of self-built buildings in recent years prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to call for additional checks to uncover structural weaknesses.
(Vinayak)
