At least 10 people were killed after a five-storey hotel that was used as a coronavirus quarantine facility collapsed in the Chinese port city of Quanzhou on Saturday, CNN reported citing the Ministry of Emergency Management. Officials said 71 people were initially trapped when the building collapsed.
The Ministry of Emergency Management 48 people have been pulled from the rubble and 23 still remain unaccounted for.
Videos posted online showed rescue workers clambering over the rubble of the Quanzhou Xinjia Hotel and carrying people toward ambulances. The hotel was opened in June 2018 with 80 rooms, according to the People’s Daily.
It is not yet clear why the building collapsed.
Authorities said 36 emergency rescue vehicles, 67 firefighting vehicles, 15 ambulances, and more than 700 firefighters, medical and other rescue workers were at the scene as the operation stretched into the night.
Quanzhou is a port city on the Taiwan Strait in the province of Fujian with a population of more than 8 million. It reported 47 cases of the COVID-19 infection and the hotel was recently repurposed to accommodate those who had been in contact with confirmed coronavirus patients.
Meanwhile, the National Health Commission on Sunday reported 44 new confirmed coronavirus cases, a decline from 99 the previous day. Of the 44 new confirmed cases, 41 were discovered in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Authorities reported 27 new deaths, taking the toll in the country to 3,097.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!