The number of people confirmed dead after a building in China collapsed has risen to 26, state media confirmed on Thursday, nearly a week after the block containing apartments, a hotel and a cinema caved in.
Africa Today News, New York had earlier reported that the affected commercial building in Changsha city, Hunan province — which housed apartments, a hotel and a cinema — collapsed on Friday, sparking a massive response from hundreds of emergency workers.
After a massive emergency response officials confirmed that ‘currently 10 trapped people have been rescued and 26 people were discovered dead,’ state broadcaster CCTV disclosed in an update.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that the tenth person recovered alive from the rubble just after midnight on Thursday had been buried in debris for nearly six days.
State media reported that she was studying on her bed at the time of the collapse and managed to stay alive by holding on to a small amount of water and using her quilt to keep warm.
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She was conscious during her rescue and even advised rescuers how to bring her out safely, official news agency Xinhua said.
The flattened structure, which has left a gaping hole in a dense Changsha streetscape, created a mess of debris and crumbled concrete beams.
The number of dead had previously been five. There are believed to be more still missing in the debris.
Meanwhile, rescuers have been able to find live victims with the help of sniffer dogs, life detectors and drones, as well as shouting and knocking survivors, according to Xinhua.
Nine people — including the building’s owner and a team of safety inspectors — have been detained in connection with the accident, according to Changsha police.
Authorities have alleged that surveyors falsified a safety audit of the building.
Building collapses are not uncommon in China due to weak safety and construction standards, as well as corruption among officials tasked with enforcement.