At least 39 people are missing and 18 are trapped in the rubble of an eight-story building that collapsed this Friday (29) in Changsha, in China’s Hunan province, according to the country’s state media. The rescue operation was ongoing at 11:30 pm local time (12:30 pm in Brasília).
It is unclear whether authorities consider whether the people who were not located may be under the rubble. “We are assessing the situation of the missing,” said Mayor Zheng Jianxin.
Wang Yong, a senior official of the Chinese Communist Party, was sent to the scene to coordinate rescue operations, says an official statement released on Saturday, which could be an indication of the severity of the disaster.
The real estate complex housed a cinema, a hotel and apartments. So far, no deaths have been announced, and authorities say five people were rescued from the rubble overnight.
Images published by Chinese media show the collapsed ceiling, furniture and air conditioning units among the rubble and rescue workers trying to communicate with people trapped. To clear the way, rescuers use circular saws.
Some wounded were carried on stretchers down a narrow alley while sniffer dogs looked for signs of life.
The reason for the collapse is still unclear, which is being investigated, but residents made changes at different levels to the structure, according to state media.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy and urged victims to be sought out at “any price”, Chinese media said.
Tragedies of this type are frequent in China, due to violations of safety regulations. In January, an explosion caused by an alleged gas leak caused the collapse of a building in the city of Chongqing, 1,700 km from Shanghai, an accident that left more than 10 dead.
In June 2021, another explosion at a gas line in a residential area killed 25 people in central Hubei province, while 18 people died in a fire at a martial arts school. All the victims were local students.
_023952.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1)
