9 detained over deadly construction site collapse

Police have detained nine people following a deadly construction site collapse that killed 74 workers and injured two others in Yichun, Jiangxi province, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Among the detained are the chairman of Hebei Yineng Tower Engineering Co Ltd, and the project's chief engineer.

The disaster occurred when a crane collapsed at about 7 am on Thursday, causing scaffolding and a construction platform to collapse inside an unfinished cooling tower at the Fengcheng Power Plant project.

Rescue crews were withdrawn from the site after a final search on Friday morning found no new casualties, the provincial government said.

Compensation of 1.2 million yuan ($173,500) will be paid to the families of each of the workers killed, the construction company said on Sunday.

Hebei Yineng Yanta Construction Co will pay the compensation, as well as burial costs.

A State Council panel announced on Friday that nationwide inspections will be carried out to prevent similar workplace accidents. Inspectors will check for safety hazards associated with elevated work platforms, cranes and scaffolding.

Earlier reports by Xinhua News Agency said authorities had confirmed the identity of 68 dead workers, ranging in age from 23 to 53.

According to Yichun officials, construction of the plant, which belongs to Jiangxi Ganneng Co, began in July last year and was expected to be completed by early 2018.

The incident is the most serious in China since a landslide last year at a waste dump in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, which buried buildings and killed 73 people.