Death toll rises to 74 after China plant accident

By Fuat Kabakci

BEIJING (AA) - At least 74 people were confirmed dead Friday after a platform at a power plant's cooling tower collapsed during construction in eastern China.

State news agency Xinhua reported that the victims of Thursday's incident at the Fengcheng Power Plant in the city of Yichun in Jiangxi Province were aged between 23 and 53 years old.

"As of 10 p.m. (1400GMT), 68 victims had been identified," it reported rescuers as saying.

Dozens of people die 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.