14 held over fatal south China construction site accident

Fourteen people are being held in police custody for their roles in a power plant construction site accident in southern China's Guangzhou city that killed nine workers and injured two others Saturday, according to a press conference Monday.

"Six of those killed were from southwest China's Sichuan Province, two from Anhui and one from Jiangsu," said Wu Linbo, deputy director of the Conghua District, at the conference.

The accident occurred around 8 a.m. at construction site of Guangzhou No. 7 Thermal Power Plant in Conghua district, when an operation platform collapsed. Ten people were working on the platform when it gave away. A further worker below was buried underneath the falling platform.

A loss of balance was cited as the cause of the collapse of the 40-meter-high platform.

The two injured are being treated at hospital and are in in stable condition, hospital sources said.

Construction of the power plant has been suspended, and Conghua district government has ordered all construction projects in the district to suspend work pending inspection.

source: Xinhua