China emphasized building safety and ordered a nationwide review of substandard buildings on Saturday following the death of 17 people in a building collapse.
Local governments have been urged to inspect buildings and improve safety supervision across all housing construction and renovation sites, especially in rural areas, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
A two-storey house, which was built in the 1990s in Wuyang County of central China's Henan Province, collapsed at around 3:30 p.m. on Friday during renovation work..
As of 10:50 p.m. Friday, 40 construction workers had been rescued from the debris. Seventeen died and 23 others were injured, nine are in a serious condition.
An investigation has been launched.
