At least four people have been reported dead in a building collapse in the eastern province of Anhui, Chinese state media reported.
The western side of the five-story building collapsed about 1:40 p.m. Monday, the district government confirmed. And a section of the 10-unit apartment block in the city of Tongling, located in Datong township in the Jiaoqu district, fell onto its occupants.
That led to an hourslong search for survivors. A 12-year-old girl was found alive and was undergoing emergency treatment, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Cranes and backhoes were brought in to stabilize the parts of the building left standing.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the collapse, although the city has recently seen days of heavy rains that have inundated underground structures, CCTV said.
Poor construction quality and illegally built additions and modifications are becoming increasingly apparent as buildings erected quickly during the economic boom years of the 1980s and 1990s begin to age.
