Henan horror: 17 builders killed as residential property collapses in central China, 9 people in serious condition
Two-storey building was under renovation at the time, disaster raises fresh questions about regulation of industry
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 31 October, 2015, 1:03pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 31 October, 2015, 3:48pm
Agence France-Presse in Shanghai
Rescuers search for survivors in Beiwudu Town, Wuyang County in central China's Henan Province on Friday. Search and rescue work ended early Saturday morning on the collapsed building. Photo: Xinhua
The collapse of a residential building under renovation in central China has killed 17 construction workers and injured another 23, state media reported on Saturday, in the latest incident to raise questions over poor regulation.
The 1990s-era building in Henan province collapsed suddenly on Friday afternoon in a project which involved adding more levels to the two-storey building, state media said.
Several people are being held in police custody as the investigation continues, authorities said on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua
Video footage broadcast on state television showed firemen picking through the rubble using their hands in the search for survivors.
The local government in Wuyang county, where the accident occurred, had called off the search by Saturday, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Nine of the injured were in serious condition, it said.
Rescuers used dogs and searched through rubble overnight before efforts came to a halt. Photo: Xinhua
The booming Chinese economy has spurred a wave of new infrastructure and construction projects, but corruption is common and strict enforcement of regulations is often lacking.
In 2011, 12 workers who were building an underground parking lot in northeastern China were killed when a concrete ceiling collapsed onto them.
