House collapses in central China, killing 10

House collapses in central China, killing 10

2011-11-15 19:37:16 GMT+7 (ICT)

YUEJIN, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- Ten people who were preparing for a funeral were killed on early Monday evening when a house collapsed in central China, the government said on Tuesday. A dozen more were injured.

The accident happened at around 7.40 p.m. local time in the village of Yuejin in Xinshao county, located in Hunan province. Twenty-two villagers were inside the house to prepare for the funeral of the home owner's deceased uncle, according to the county government.

Officials said rescue workers searched the rubble for several hours and recovered eight bodies at the scene and transported fourteen others to a local hospital, where two more died as a result of their extreme injuries. The other victims are believed to be in a stable condition.

It was not immediately known what caused the collapse, but the government said an investigation has been launched.

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