Little hope of finding survivors

Hopes of finding survivors in China three days after a building collapsed are now dim as a crucial window for relief ended on Monday.

Nearly 16 people trapped

The eight-storey building, which housed a hotel, apartments and a cinema, collapsed in the city of Changsha (center) on Friday for an undetermined reason. On Sunday evening, a seventh person was rescued, authorities said. According to the latest report released, at least 16 people remain trapped, while 39 others are unreachable.

The mayor of Changsha, Zheng Jianxin, had mentioned a “golden window” of 72 hours for relief operations. With this deadline past Monday, the chances of finding survivors are dwindling. The seventh person had been found by rescuers more than 50 hours after the start of the search, according to national television CCTV.

No explanation at this stage

A one-meter wall separated her from the rescuers, who had detected signs of life earlier in the day. Rescuers were trying to make their way through the rubble. They used circular saws to extricate several survivors.

State media showed firefighters cutting through a tangle of metal and concrete on Sunday, while rescuers shouted in an attempt to communicate with survivors. The authorities have not yet given an explanation for this disaster.