A residential building in east China collapsed on Friday afternoon resulting in three deaths. Eight others were rescued, according to local officials.

The residential building collapsed at around 2:18 pm in Xinxueqian Alley of Anyuan District in Pingxiang City, Jiangxi province. According to Xinhua, the upper part of a six-storey building fell apart. Reports say that there were six families living on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors.

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Authorities have not yet determined the total missing persons at the moment. Rescuers reportedly saved eight people with one suffering from injuries. Initial reports indicated that the accident resulted in one death. However, an update from China Radio International (CRI) reveals that two more bodies were recovered earlier Saturday. The two bodies recovered were found around 3 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, according to officials. The two bodies have not yet identified.

The building was constructed in 1983, according to Chinese state media. The building housed 30 households before the accident happened. An interview with one of the ground floor shop owners revealed that renovations were underway on the floor fourth, Xinhua reports. The shop owner Huang Yongqing believes that the old building could not stand the renovations.

The injured man and one of the three found dead were among the ones who worked on the renovations. While there are speculations that the renovations on the fourth floor may have caused the building to collapse, authorities need to conduct further investigation.

Another woman interviewed told Xinhua that her uncle may still be trapped in the debris. Her uncle supposedly lived on the fourth floor, Liu said. The missing uncle cannot be contacted.

Rescue efforts are still on-going at the site. Rescuers are also currently clearing the debris and have said it would take more than 30 hours to clear it all.

TagsEast China Building Collapse