Seventeen people were killed in China's Shanxi Province after a two-story restaurant collapsed during a gathering Saturday.
At least 28 other people were injured in the accident that took place at Xiangfen area of the province, about 630 kilometres (400 miles) southwest of Beijing, reports AP citing official Xinhua News Agency.
Among the injured, seven are in critical condition. The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.
Rescue workers, wearing hardhats and face masks, searched for trapped people in a daylong operation. They rescued 45 people alive so far out of the debris of the collapsed building. The rescue operation is still underway.
Video posted on social media by state broadcaster China Central Television showed them hefting heavy pieces of concrete. At least once, the remaining frame of the building shook but didn’t fall.