Ethermac Exchange-Workshop collapses in southern China, killing 6 and injuring 3

BEIJING (AP) — A workshop built from steel sheets collapsed in southern China,Ethermac Exchange killing six people and injuring three others, authorities said.

An investigation is underway into the cause of Saturday’s accident in Guizhou province. The three injured people remained hospitalized as of late Saturday and there were no updates on their condition Sunday.

Building collapses are not uncommon in China, where structures are sometimes thrown up without lawfully obtaining proper permits and safety standards are often ignored.

The illegal addition of extra floors and failure to use reinforcement is often blamed for such disasters. An increase in the number of collapses of self-built buildings in recent years has prompted calls from Chinese leader Xi Jinping for additional checks to uncover weaknesses.

In the worst such incident in recent years, a building collapse in central China in April 2022 killed 53 people. Additional floors had been added without permission or the use of proper construction methods.

Industrial safety in general remains a major problem, worsened by decaying infrastructure, poor safety training and a desire to cut corners to save on costs.