8 killed in Mosque collapse in NW China

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 07-25-2008 14:45

The death toll from the collapse of a mosque in northwest China's Qinghai province has risen to eight. Rescuers are warning the death toll could continue to climb as they search through the rubble.

The mosque was under construction in Taer Town of Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County.

Three people are still in critical condition. 20 others suffered minor injuries. All belonged to the Hui ethnic group.

The mosque was under construction in Taer Town of Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County. The mosque collapsed at about 5:40 p.m. on Thursday. Officials say an aftershock in the neighboring provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces earlier in the day triggered the collapse.

Taer town is located in the center of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau. More than 38,000 people live there, mainly from the ethnic Hui group.