Death toll rises to 10 from SW China building collapse

GUIYANG -- The death toll from a collapsed apartment building in the southwestern Chinese city of Guiyang has risen to 10 as of 7 pm Friday, with another six still missing, local authorities said.

The accident happened at 11:30 am Wednesday, when the nine-story building in central Guiyang, home to 114 residents, fell down. A total of 98 were confirmed safe as of Wednesday evening. Another 16 could not be reached, and 10 of their bodies have been found.

More than 100 firefighters and soldiers are still combing the debris with sniffer dogs and life detectors to find the missing people. More than 1,000 residents from 333 households in nearby buildings were evacuated after the accident.

A rain-triggered landslide is believed to have caused the tragedy, said the Guiyang city government.

According to Li Shiyong, head of the firefighting team, there is still a chance of finding survivors in the debris within the first 72 hours.

However, rainy weather since early morning on Friday might make rescue work more difficult.