Death toll rises to 26 in Chinese building collapse: state media

The death toll from a building collapse in China has grown to 26, according to state media, about a week after the complex comprising apartments, a hotel, and a theatre fell in.

The commercial building in Changsha city, Hunan province — which housed apartments, a hotel and a cinema — collapsed on Friday, sparking a massive response from hundreds of emergency workers.

After a massive emergency response officials confirmed that “currently 10 trapped people have been rescued and 26 people were discovered dead,” state broadcaster CCTV said.

The tenth person pulled alive from the rubble just after midnight on Thursday had been buried in debris for nearly six days.

State media reported that she was studying on her bed at the time of the collapse and managed to stay alive by holding on to a small amount of water and using her quilt to keep warm.

She was conscious during her rescue and even advised rescuers how to bring her out safely, official news agency Xinhua said.

The flattened structure, which has left a gaping hole in a dense Changsha streetscape, created a mess of debris and crumbled concrete beams.

The number of dead had previously been five. There are believed to be more still missing in the debris.

According to Xinhua, rescuers were able to locate living victims using sniffer dogs, life detectors, and drones, as well as shouting and hitting survivors.