Beijing: The death toll from a building collapse in China has risen to 53, officials say. A shopping mall in the city of Changsha collapsed last Friday. The preliminary conclusion is that the accident was caused by a defect in the construction of the building. After a six-day rescue operation, those trapped in the wreckage were rescued.
The local government said the rescue operation was complete. Authorities said 10 people had escaped. The building complex, which includes houses, a hotel and a movie theater, collapsed. Survivors were found in the wreckage with the help of sniffer dogs, life detectors and drones.
Eleven people, including the owner of the building and security officials, were arrested following the incident. Two people have been arrested for illegally remodeling a building. Authorities said a security check on the building had failed.
