FENGCHENG, Jiangxi Province, Nov. 24 — Sixty-seven people have been confirmed dead and three others injured after a construction platform collapsed in east China’s Jiangxi Province Thursday, rescuers said.
More than 60 people were working on the platform and another dozen were on the ground waiting to begin their shift at 7 a.m. when the platform of a power plant’s cooling tower under construction collapsed in the city of Fengcheng, rescuers said.
More than 300 rescuers, two drones and seven cranes are involved in the search for victims.
Wang Yaosheng, who was waiting to begin his shift, narrowly escaped death by running away when he saw the falling platform.
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The workers on the ground all managed to escape. Two were slightly injured, including Wang.
The fatalities were taken to a funeral home 10 kms away from the collapse site.
According to the rescuers, most of the victims were from the provinces of Hebei and Hubei.
Construction of the cooling tower is part of an expansion plan of the Fengcheng Power Plant, with an estimated cost of 7.67 billion yuan (1.1 billion U.S. dollars). The plant is owned by Jiangxi Ganneng Co. Ltd., a state-owned power corporation listed in Shenzhen. Trading of its shares was suspended Thursday following the accident.
The tower was being constructed by Hebei Yineng Tower Engineering Co. Ltd. According to Liao Huishou, an engineer from the firm in charge of the project, the designed height of the tower under construction is 156 meters, and over 70 meters have been built since April.
Liao said it is a complicated project because of its double-curve design. The construction platform is adjusted based on the height of the tower. The project is planned to last 26 months. (Xinhua)
Below is an early news dispatch, now dated, about the construction mishap:
Bonus: Another China construction disaster below:
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A news agency said the enforcement of industrial safety standards is often lax in China. Consider how Chinese firms can do the same in the country (PH) once the friendly stance of Duterte admin become more of a reality.