22 dead in collapse at China plant during construction

By Fuat Kabakci

BEIJING (AA) - At least 22 people have been killed and an undetermined number remain trapped after a platform of a power plant's cooling tower collapsed during construction in eastern China.

State news agency Xinhua reported that at least two others were injured Thursday morning in Jiangxi Province.

Medical and firefighting personnel were dispatched to the scene, and rescue efforts are ongoing.

Dozens of people are killed in workplace accidents in China each year, raising questions about lax safety regulations in the country.

In July, eight people died after a construction elevator fell from the 18th floor of an apartment in eastern Shandong province.

In late May, at least one plant worker and a firefighter were killed and 18 others injured after an explosion rocked a battery storehouse in eastern Jiangsu province, known as an industrial hub.