Survivor Pulled From Rubble Six Days After Building Collapses

Rescuers have managed to save a woman from the rubble of a six-storey building six days after it collapsed in China.

Dozens of people are still missing after the incident took place on Friday (29 April) in Changsha city, Hunan province, at the building home to a hotel, apartments, a cafe and a cinema.

So far, ten people are known to have survived the incident, including the woman who was rescued just after midnight local time on Wednesday. At least five people have died in the collapse.

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State media cited by BBC News have reported the woman was conscious as she was extracted from the rubble and offered advice to rescuers on how to bring her out safely. She had spent approximately 132 hours trapped in the wreckage of the building while rescuers searched for signs of life by shouting and knocking, and utilising sniffer dogs and drones.

All 10 survivors who have so far been rescued are said to be in good condition after receiving treatment in hospital.

Intermittent rain showers in the area in recent days are thought to have contributed to the survival of those trapped under the rubble, with one 21-year-old woman describing how she kept herself alive by rationing drinking water and staying warm before being saved after 88 hours.

According to the Global Times, the woman in her twenties was in bed and fell from the fourth floor when the building collapsed. Thankfully the walls above her did not cave in completely and instead formed a triangle above her head.

She had access to half a pot of water which she drank one sip at a time, and wrapped her quilt around herself as temperatures rose and fell throughout the day and night.

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When she felt the rescuers were getting close to where she was trapped, the woman used a hard object to knock on the wall next to her and signal for help. She used her phone to check the date and time and keep track of how long she had been trapped, but she was unable to use it to call for help due to a lack of signal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an intensive rescue effort and an investigation into the disaster, with at least nine people having been arrested so far on suspicion of ignoring building codes or committing other violations.

Four of those arrested have been charged with causing a major liability accident and five were accused of providing false documents.

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