Thursday 3 October 2013

Disused factory building collapses in northern China, burying 16 people sleeping inside


Sixteen people remained missing as of Wednesday morning after a factory building collapsed on Monday in north China's Hebei Province, according to rescue headquarters.

Over 200 rescuers were excavating debris at the accident site near the village of Houshan in Wu'an City, said the rescue headquarters.

The isolated building near the village collapsed early on Monday morning.

The buried, all construction workers for Fengshanbao Iron Mine, were staying in the building for the night.

A Wuan propaganda department official confirmed a state media report that the 16 were construction workers for an iron mine and had been staying in the building near the village of Houshan for the night. The official refused to give his name, as is common with Chinese officials.

The subsidence depth was estimated at about 15 to 20 meters, and the complicated geological conditions and the building's narrow foundation made the rescue work even harder, according to headquarters.

An investigation into the cause of the collapse is under way.

Construction workers are often migrants who have left their homes in search of a better life. They are sometimes forced to use makeshift housing, including tents and abandoned buildings, to be close to their temporary work sites.

Thursday 3 October 2013

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/8415938.html

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