Restaurant collapse in N China kills 29, rescue operation closed
Updated 22:24, 30-Aug-2020
CGTN

A restaurant collapsed on Saturday in the city of Linfen, north China's Shanxi Province, killing 29 people and injuring another 28 people, seven of them seriously. 

All the wounded have been treated, and no one is in a life-threatening situation. 

The two-story building collapsed at around 9:40 a.m. 

An investigation into the cause has been ordered and was supervised by the State Council Work Safety Committee.

Twenty-nine people died following a village restaurant collapse in north China's Shanxi Province. The accident happened when relatives and fellow villagers are attending a birthday party banquet for an 80-year-old person at Juxian Restaurant in Chenzhuang Village in Xiangfen County on August 29, 2020. /VCG

Twenty-nine people died following a village restaurant collapse in north China's Shanxi Province. The accident happened when relatives and fellow villagers are attending a birthday party banquet for an 80-year-old person at Juxian Restaurant in Chenzhuang Village in Xiangfen County on August 29, 2020. /VCG

Updated at 21:15 BJT Sunday

Local authorities revealed a list of the 29 victims after search and rescue operation finished this afternoon. 

The deceased were 21 females and eight males. 

The list did not provide their ages. 

People were attending a birthday party banquet for an 80-year-old when the collapse happened. 

Most of them were fellow villagers and relatives of the birthday person. 

The 80-year-old dodged a bullet as he's welcoming guest outside, but his 78-year-old wife lost her life in the accident. 

In an interview with Beijing News, the grieving elderly said he was initially against the plan to hold birthday banquet, but was talked into celebration by family and friends.

According to media report, Juxian Restaurant, firstly built in the 1980s, has been renovated six times, all by construction workers temporary hired from the village.

Local housing department said it's looking into the case to investigate if the restaurant is an unapproved construction project.

Updated at 13:13 BJT, Sunday

Shanxi's provincial government has formed an investigation team to look into the collapse.

Leader of the team, Xue Jun, also head of the provincial emergency management department, vowed to identify the cause of the collapse quickly and hold those units and individuals responsible for the incident accountable. 

Updated at 8:20 BJT, Sunday

The death toll from the collapse has risen to 29 and the cause of the incident is under investigation. 

A total of 57 people have been pulled out of the debris and the rescue operation ended at 3:45 a.m. BJT on Sunday. 

02:34

Updated at 7:05 BJT, Sunday

At least 20 people were killed, seven people are seriously injured and 21 others have minor injuries as of 1:30 a.m. BJT on Sunday. 

There are no life-threatening injuries among the hospitalized patients.

A total of 48 people have been successfully pulled out of the debris so far.

Updated at 21:29 BJT

The State Council Work Safety Committee said it will supervise the investigation into the incident. 

The committee demanded the provincial government of Shanxi immediately investigates, and said the result should be released to the public upon approval by the committee.

According to the latest information, 45 people have been pulled out of the debris. Among them, 17 have been confirmed dead while 28 others are injured. 

Rescue work is underway after a restaurant collapsed in the city of Linfen, north China's Shanxi Province, August 29, 2020. /VCG

Rescue work is underway after a restaurant collapsed in the city of Linfen, north China's Shanxi Province, August 29, 2020. /VCG

Rescue work is underway after a restaurant collapsed in the city of Linfen, north China's Shanxi Province, August 29, 2020. /VCG

Rescue work is underway after a restaurant collapsed in the city of Linfen, north China's Shanxi Province, August 29, 2020. /VCG

Rescue work is underway after a restaurant collapsed in the city of Linfen, north China's Shanxi Province, August 29, 2020. /VCG

Rescue work is underway after a restaurant collapsed in the city of Linfen, north China's Shanxi Province, August 29, 2020. /VCG

Updated at 19:52 BJT

00:44

The death toll from the collapse has climbed to 17, as the rescue work continues. 

So far, 45 people have been brought out, including the dead. A total of 28 people have been injured, of which seven are serious. 

Updated at 18:19 BJT

At least 13 people were confirmed dead in the collapse, as of 17:00 BJT on Saturday. 

So far, 43 people have been brought out, including the dead and four seriously injured ones. 

Updated at 16:18 BJT

01:11

At least five people were confirmed dead after a two-storey restaurant collapsed in Xiangfen County, Linfen City, north China's Shanxi Province on Saturday morning.

An estimated 37 people were buried after the accident happened.

So far, 33 have been pulled out. Among them, five people have been confirmed dead, with one severely injured. 

More than 700 people are involved in the ongoing rescue operation.

(CGTN's Hu Chao contributed to the story.)

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