Survivor found almost 6 days after China building collapse

Beijing, May. Official media reported, Thursday, that rescuers in central China pulled a woman alive from under the rubble of a partially collapsed building nearly six days ago.


The unidentified woman is the tenth survivor of the disaster in Changsha, in which at least five people were killed and an unknown number, perhaps dozens, are still missing.


She was rescued shortly after midnight Thursday, about 132 hours after the back of the six-storey building suddenly collapsed on April 29, Xinhua news agency reported.


Xinhua said the woman was conscious and advised rescuers how to get her out without causing further injuries. Teams used dogs and hand tools as well as drones and electronic life detectors in the search.


All survivors were reportedly in good condition after receiving treatment at the hospital. The intermittent rains of recent days may have increased their chances of surviving without food or water.


At least nine people have been arrested in connection with the collapse of what Xinhua described as a “self-constructed building,” including its owner, on suspicion of ignoring building codes or other violations.


Three people responsible for the design and construction and five others who allegedly gave a false assessment of the safety of a guesthouse on the fourth to sixth floors of the building were also arrested.


The building also contained housing, a café and shops.


The increase in the number of self-constructed building collapses in recent years prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to call last month for additional checks to detect structural weaknesses.

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Poor adherence to safety standards, including the illegal addition of additional floors and the lack of rebar, is often blamed for such disasters. China also suffers from deteriorating infrastructure such as gas pipelines that have led to explosions and collapses.


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