Sixth survivor pulled out from China building collapse

Beijing: Rescuers pulled a sixth survivor from a collapsed building in central China on Sunday, state media reported, two days into a search-and-rescue operation that has workers looking for dozens feared missing.

The building in Changsha city, Hunan province -- which housed a hotel, apartments and a cinema -- caved in Friday afternoon, leaving a gaping hole in the dense streetscape. City officials said Saturday five survivors had been pulled out of the structure, leaving 18 still trapped. A further 39 could not be contacted after the incident.

After 50 hours of rescue efforts, a woman -- the sixth survivor -- was pulled out from the rubble Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, showing footage of firefighters loading a person covered in dust onto a gurney.

Changsha police said nine people -- including the building’s owner and a team of safety inspectors -- were detained Sunday in connection to the accident. They alleged that surveyors had falsified a safety audit of the building.