Shanghai: Five people were killed on Thursday when the roof of a Shanghai commercial building caved in upon construction workers who were renovating it, the city government said. The accident occurred at around 11:30 am (0330 GMT) in a central Shanghai neighbourhood, trapping around 20 people, according to fire rescue officials.
Official sources provided differing tallies of the numbers of people pulled out of the rubble throughout the day, but both the city government and the national emergency ministry now quote a death toll of five.
A verified social media account run by China’s emergency ministry showed pictures of rescue personnel digging bloodied and dust-coated workers out from amid piles of rubble, toppled concrete pillars and shattered wooden beams.
The building had previously been used as a dealership for Mercedes-Benz cars, the fire rescue bureau said.
It was being redeveloped as a mixed-use arts and innovation site, according to Chinese media reports.
A local resident said she was taking a nap when her bed suddenly began shaking, as if in an earthquake had struck. She then heard a loud bang. — AFP
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