28 remain trapped after hotel collapses in east China

A total of 28 people remain trapped as of 11:30 a.m. Sunday after a hotel building collapsed in east China's Fujian Province Saturday evening, local authorities said.

Forty-three people had been pulled from the rubble, of whom six had no vital signs when rescued, and one died later in hospital.

The Xinjia Hotel collapsed at around 7:05 p.m. in Licheng District of the city of Quanzhou, trapping 71 people.

A preliminary investigation showed the hotel building was being decorated when the accident occurred and the owner of the building has been put under police control.

Construction of the building, with a floor area of 7,000 square meters, began in 2013. It was converted into a hotel in 2018 with 66 rooms.

Over 1,000 firefighters, police officers and medics have been dispatched to join the rescue work and the Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a work team to Quanzhou to help with the rescue efforts and investigate the cause of the accident.

Further rescue is underway.