Police in central China announced the detention of nine people on Sunday over a collapsed building, as increasingly desperate rescuers comb the debris for any survivors. The building, in Changsha city, housed a hotel, apartments, and a cinema. At least 18 people were trapped and another 39 were incommunicado, according to city mayor Zheng Jianxin. Another five people, all members of a private building inspection firm, “provided a false safety report after conducting a building safety audit of the hotel”, the statement on Twitter-like Weibo said. Building collapses are not uncommon in China, due to weak safety and construction standards as well as corruption among officials tasked with enforcement.

Source: Punch May 01, 2022 09:55 UTC