Office Building Collapses In Northeastern China, Killing 6

Office building collapses in northeastern China, killing 6 < br />

2012-10-16 22:07:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

SHUANGYASHAN, CHINA (BNO NEWS) - A four-story office building undergoing renovation collapsed in the northeastern region of China on early Monday morning, killing six people and injuring two others, state-run media reported on Tuesday. The cause was not immediately known.

The accident occurred at around 7:50 a.m. local time on Monday at an office building in the city of Shuangyashan, located in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. The building, now owned by the Jixian County Water Company, was still relatively new as it was built only seven years ago.

Rescue workers cited by the state-run Xinhua news agency said the eastern wing of the four-story building suddenly collapsed as it was undergoing renovation. The collapse buried eight people and emergency teams later recovered the bodies of six people, while the two others were found alive and taken to a local hospital without serious injuries.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately known, but the rapid economic growth in China, in combination with poor safety measures, frequently result in deadly industrial accidents. Five construction workers were killed last week when a tunnel under construction collapsed in southern China.

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