Coronavirus: Rescues underway in China after 70 trapped in quarantined hotel collapse
Dozens of people were trapped in a hotel being used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in China after the five-story building collapsed.
BBC News reported about 70 people were in the rubble of Xinjia Hotel, in Quanzhou, China, according to officials. The collapse occured around 7:30 p.m. local time Saturday -- 6:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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People quarantined in the building were being monitored as they had close contact with coronavirus patients, according to Chinese state media.
Reuters reported video livestreamed on the government-backed Beijing News website showed rescue workers carrying people from the rubble toward ambulances.
“I was at a gas station and heard a loud noise. I looked up and the whole building collapsed. Dust was everywhere, and glass fragments were flying around,” a witness said in a video posted on Miaopai, a Chinese video sharing and live streaming service
About four hours after the collapse, 38 of the 70 or so people who had been in the hotel were rescued, according to officials.
The cause of the collapse is not clear. No deaths have been reported so far.
About the Author
Kelcie Willis is a writer and online content producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Georgia. At the AJC, she covers state, regional and national news with the Content Curation Desk.
