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The Latest:Death toll rises to 18 in east China hotel collapse

March 10, 2020

FUZHOU, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a hotel building collapse in east China's Fujian Province on Saturday evening has risen to 18 by Tuesday morning, local authorities said.

Fifty-nine people had been pulled out of the debris of Xinjia Hotel in Licheng district in the city of Quanzhou by 6:50 a.m. Tuesday, and among them, 18 had died, said the rescue headquarters.

At the time of the collapse, a total of 71 people were trapped. Rescue workers are searching for another 12 people who remain missing.

On Monday night, a 10-year-old boy and his mother were rescued 52 hours after being trapped in the rubble.

Construction of the building, with a floor area of around 7,000 square meters, began in 2013. It was converted into a hotel in 2018 with 66 rooms.  ■