BEIJING: At least 67 people were killed today when an under construction platform at a power plant collapsed in east China’s Jiangxi province, the latest industrial disaster to hit the world’s second largest economy.
The accident occurred at about 7:00 am (local time) when a cooling tower platform plunged to the ground, trapping an unknown number of people beneath it, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The death toll in the accident was put at 67. However, earlier rescuers said that the death toll passed 40 and later corrected it to 40.
Sixty-eight people were working on the platform at the time of the collapse, according to China’s State Administration of Work Safety. One person is still unaccounted for and search is on for him.
More than 200 firefighters were deployed, as well as search and rescue dogs.
32 fire engines and 212 military personnel had also been deployed, local officials said.
Images from state broadcaster CCTV showed a pile of twisted metal and dozens of rescue workers searching for victims under the rubble.
China has a long history of industrial accidents, from factory explosions to mine collapses and there have been growing demands for more stringent safety standards.
Last year, the Chinese port city of Tianjin was rocked by two massive blasts, killing at least 173 people and injuring hundreds others.
A metal dust explosion at a car parts factory in eastern China in August 2014 killed at least 75 people and injured more than 180. (AGENCIES)
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