China reports first fatalities from Changsha building collapse

Two people died after the structure caved in four days ago, officials say
Announcement comes the same day as a woman was pulled out alive from the debris

China society

Agence France-Presse

Published: 9:32pm, 3 May 2022

Why you can trust SCMP

At least two people died in a building collapse in central China, state media said on Tuesday, reporting the first fatalities four days after the structure caved in.

The commercial building in Changsha, Hunan province, collapsed on Friday and dozens are still missing.

By Tuesday, the flattened structure – which housed flats, a hotel and a cafe – was still a mess of debris and crumbled concrete beams.

Citing local officials, state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday evening that two people had died.

According to a video published by People’s Daily, emergency response expert Liang Buge said the two victims had showed “no signs of life”.

“We tried to remove them from the site, but found that they were pinned down by heavy objects, and there was no way to move them,” he said.

Earlier in the day, emergency workers pulled a woman alive from the rubble, state media said, hailing it as a “miracle”.

People’s Daily said the woman was conscious and able to talk to rescuers through a small hole and her “vital signs were stable”.

She was the ninth person to be rescued from the debris.

01:16

9 survivors rescued from collapsed residential building in China

State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of a person wrapped in a thick striped blanket being carried on a stretcher while other rescuers applauded.

CCTV also released footage of emergency workers using a small camera and microphone to communicate with a woman trapped by the rubble – though it is unclear if it was the same person rescued on Tuesday.

“Please come and save me as soon as possible,” the woman pleaded.

“We are trying to save you now and we can see your hands ... If your legs aren’t comfortable, you should stay still and save your strength,” one rescuer responded.

At least 14 people are still known to be trapped in the rubble while no contact has been established with 39 others missing.

02:51

Police in China arrest 9 people linked to Changsha building collapse that left dozens missing

CCTV wrote on its official social media page Tuesday: “Looking forward to more miracles.”

The day before, an eighth survivor was recovered from the site despite having had her limbs pinned down by debris. Emergency medical workers had delivered a saline solution to her through three-metre tubes during a long rescue process, Xinhua said.

Eleven people – including the building’s owner and a team of safety inspectors – have been detained in connection with the collapse. Two of those in custody are suspected of engaging in “illegal alteration” of the building, according to Changsha authorities.

Authorities have alleged that surveyors falsified a safety audit of the building.

President Xi Jinping earlier called for a search “at all cost” and ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse, state media reported.

Building collapses are not uncommon in China due to weak safety and construction standards, as well as corruption among officials tasked with enforcement.

In January, an explosion triggered by a suspected gas leak brought down a building in the city of Chongqing, killing at least 16 people.