In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers search for victims at the site of a hotel collapse in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sunday, March 8, 2020. Several people were killed and others trapped in the collapse of the Chinese hotel that was being used to isolate people who had arrived from other parts of China hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, authorities said Sunday. (Lin Shanchuan/Xinhua via AP)
Republished March 12, 2020 - 1:53 AM
Original Publication Date March 11, 2020 - 9:06 PM
BEIJING - Chinese authorities have taken several people into custody as part of their investigation into the collapse of a coronavirus quarantine facility that killed 29 people.
Officials told reporters that preliminary investigations had shown “serious problems exist in the construction, renovation and examination and approval" of the Xinjia Hotel, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
The hotel in the southeastern city of Quanzhou was being used to quarantine suspected coronavirus patients when it came crashing down Saturday night.
One person previously listed as missing was pulled dead from the rubble on Thursday morning. Forty-two people survived the disaster
Xinhua quoted Quanzhou's Executive Deputy Mayor Hong Ziqiang as saying that “those responsible for the accident have been taken into custody," but gave no details.
The Ministry of Emergency Management announced Thursday that China's Cabinet, the State Council, has formed a special investigative team to look into the collapse.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020