Five dead after housing block collapses in central China
Jun 20, 2021
Beijing [China], June 20 : Five people have died after a residential building collapsed in central China's Hunan province.
The building, which had 27 inhabitants, was in Rucheng county and collapsed on Saturday, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported citing the state broadcaster.
Seven survivors were trapped under the rubble and pulled out several hours later. They are being treated in hospital.
More than 400 rescuers and 160 police from the city of Chenzhou were involved in the rescue operation. Local authorities are still investigating the cause of the collapse.
The accident happened at a time when the central government has been trying to improve the country's often-lax safety standards, the SCMP reported.
It further reported that Beijing recently ordered local authorities to conduct a risk assessment as part of its efforts to maintain social stability ahead of the Communist Party's centenary celebrations on July 1.
Last Sunday, more than 25 people were killed and over 100 sustained injuries after a gas pipe exploded at a market in Shiyan in Hubei province.
