High-rise building collapse in China: More than 60 people are confirmed to be trapped or missing

This aerial photo taken on April 29 shows rescuers working at the site of a high-rise building collapse in central China’s Hunan province – Photo: AFP

According to local media, a high-rise building in Trường Sa city, Hunan province, collapsed on the afternoon of April 29.

Trường Sa Mayor Zheng Jian Xin confirmed to reporters that at least 23 people were trapped in the rubble and 39 others were still missing after the incident.

Authorities are still continuing to assess the situation to better determine the status of those still missing. In addition, officials also confirmed the information that this building is 8 floors high, not 6 floors as previously reported.

The exact number of casualties has not been reported yet. Earlier, authorities announced that they had rescued five people from the rubble after search and rescue teams worked through the night at the scene.

Pictures from the scene showed firefighters working to clear debris and building structures while rescuers kept calling to search for people trapped.

Dogs were also brought to the scene to search for victims. Authorities have not yet released a cause for the collapse.

State media China reported that President Xi Jinping ordered the search for the victims at all costs, and ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.

China’s State Councilor Wang Yong was also tasked with leading the team to the scene to inspect and directly direct the search and rescue work.