BEIJING — Rescuers in central China rescued five of the other 23 people trapped in a partially collapsed building alive, the government said Saturday, while President Xi Jinping gave orders to rescue the victims “at all costs. “
Changsha City’s six-story construction partially collapsed on Friday. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the collapse trapped another 23 people in the construction. that rescue operations were underway.
Authorities said at a news conference that the other five people who had been rescued were in good condition at a hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the construction housed a restaurant, a cafeteria, a hotel and several apartments, CCTV reported.
Tenants have made structural adjustments to the facility and the precise cause of the collapse is still being investigated, according to the report.
Following an increase in the number of collapses of self-built buildings in recent years, Mr. Xi also said it is mandatory to check those structures to investigate any hidden risks and repair them at the right time to avoid primary accidents, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The images showed the front of the building largely intact, while the rear gave the impression of having collapsed on itself.
Poor compliance with protection standards, coupled with the illegal addition of more floors and the lack of use of rebar, are to blame for such disasters.