Four killed in building collapse in China’s Wenzhou city

BEIJING (Reuters): Four people were killed when a building collapsed in China’s Wenzhou city, state media outlet CCTV reported on Sunday.

The collapse occurred on Saturday during renovation of the building, and the casualties were all construction workers, CCTV reported, adding that continuous rain had hampered rescue work.

An investigation into the cause is going on, it said.

The accident in the eastern city follows several similar incidents recently, including the collapse of a gym in heavy snow in the northeast province of Heilongjiang last week, which killed three.

In July, 11 people were killed when the roof of a school gym caved in during intense rain, also in Heilongjiang province, drawing criticism by media. Authorities said construction materials illegally stacked on the roof may have caused the collapse, Xinhua reported.

“How come accidents like this always happen?” said a user of the Weibo social media platform. “The hidden danger of buildings’ safety cannot be ignored and needs to be treated seriously.”