Two people have died, and several others remain missing after a building in Central China suddenly collapsed over the weekend. Officials confirmed the fatalities Tuesday, four days after rescue operations began.
Hundreds of rescue workers were dispatched to the city of Changsha in China's Hunan province following the collapse of a large commercial building. As of Tuesday, rescue efforts are still ongoing, and officials said they believe dozens of people might still be trapped under heavy rubble. The collapsed building, which housed residential apartments, a hotel, and a theater, left a gaping hole in the middle of the dense Chinese city.
Emergency crews had previously removed a lady alive from the structure, which state media hailed as a "miracle." The news outlet said it was still hoping for "more miracles" as rescue operations continued. The woman was able to communicate with rescuers via a small hole. Officials said the women's vitals were steady, and she is now safe. The woman was the ninth person to be pulled from the rubble since the building collapsed on Saturday.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that rescuers were able to communicate with another woman trapped under the rubble using a small camera equipped with a microphone. The woman reportedly pleaded with rescuers to save her as soon as possible as she was unable to move.
Rescue officials said they had found at least 14 other people still trapped under the rubble but they are still attempting to establish contact with 39 others still missing. On Monday, rescuers were able to rescue another woman whose limbs were pinned down by debris. Rescuers managed to keep her alive by using long tubes to administer medication.
Following the collapse of the building, Chinese authorities arrested at least 11 people, including the building's owner and several safety inspectors. They will remain under detention pending the outcome of an investigation. Changsha authorities said two people believed to have made "illegal alternations" to the building had also been arrested.
Authorities claim that safety inspectors had lied about the building's safety check. According to official media, President Xi Jinping had previously called for a search "at any costs" and demanded a comprehensive probe into the reason why the building had suddenly collapsed.
Building collapses are widespread in China as a result of lax safety and building regulations, as well as corruption among enforcement officers. In January, a building in Chongqing was destroyed by an explosion caused by a suspected gas leak, killing at least 16 people.
