More than 70 people were believed to have been initially trapped in the seven story building, which collapsed on Saturday evening.
As of 16:00 Beijing time on Sunday, authorities had retrieved 48 individuals from the site of the collapse, with 38 of them sent to hospitals, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.
Pictures from the site showed rescue workers clad in hard hats, goggles and face masks carrying injured people away to waiting medical staff in white overalls and surgical masks. A rescue force of over 1,000 people, including firefighters, police forces, and other emergency res ponders, arrived at the site on Saturday night, authorities told a media conference organised by the Quanzhou government on Sunday.
Of the 71 people inside the hotel at the time of the collapse, 58 had been under quarantine, they added.
According to state media outlet Xinhua, the owner of the building, a man surnamed Yang, has been summoned by police. The building’s first floor had been under renovation at the time of the collapse, the news agency said.
News of the collapse comes as the spread of COVID-19 continues to slow in China.
According to data from China’s National Health Commission (NHC), cases fell by roughly one half on Saturday from the day prior.
The agency confirmed 44 new cases of COVID-19 on March 7, a decline from 99 the previous day.
Chinese cities are gradually relaxing quarantine measures put in place over a month ago, while authorities keep a close watch on the virus’ spread overseas.
Reference: Dawn News
