At least 17 people died on Saturday when a restaurant in northern China collapsed, state media said , with rescuers pulling dozens of survivors from the rubble and searching for others believed to be trapped .
The two-storey building used for banquets came down in the morning in Xiangfen county , in Shanxi province, according to broadcaster CGTN.
Xinhua news agency reported that “45 people have been brought out , of which 17 were dead , seven seriously injured and 21 slightly injured .”
Rescuers in orange overalls and hard hats combed the crumbled ruin of the building , images on the CGTN website showed , with a decorative painting seen on one of the few walls still intact .
Seven hundred people were involved in the rescue operation , CGTN said .
While the cause of the disaster was not immediately clear , China is no stranger to building collapses and deadly construction accidents .
They are typically blamed on the country ’s rapid growth leading to corner -cutting by builders and the widespread flouting of safety rules .
( AFP )
