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BEIJING, Aug.30, 2020 (AFP): The number of people killed when a restaurant in northern China collapsed rose to 29, state media said on Sunday, and efforts to find survivors ended.
The two-story building in Xiangfen county, Shanxi province collapsed on Saturday morning during an 80th birthday party, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
A total of 57 people have been pulled from the rubble of the Juxian restaurant, with dozens injured.
Seven people were seriously injured, although Xinhua said the injuries were “not life-threatening.”
State broadcaster CGTN said the rescue operation ended in the early hours of Sunday.
The cause of the collapse is unknown and the central government’s State Council said it would oversee an investigation by provincial authorities.
Images on the CGTN website showed the roof collapsing, with rescue teams lifting debris from the site.
Rescuers in orange jumpsuits and helmets combed the crumbling ruins while a painting hung on one of the few walls that was still intact.
Seven hundred people participated in the rescue operation, CGTN said.
China is no stranger to building collapses or fatal construction accidents, which are generally attributed to the country’s rapid growth that has led builders to take corners and widespread non-compliance with safety rules.
A hotel collapse in southern China’s Quanzhou city in March killed 29 people and injured 42 others.
An official investigation found that three stories had been illegally added to the original four-story structure, and security advisers had colluded with the hotel owner to produce false reports about the building, state broadcaster CCTV said. – AFP
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