Four dead in slope collapse in China's Hunan

CHANGSHA -- Four people were killed in a slope collapse on Thursday in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture in Central China's Hunan province, local authorities said.

The accident occurred at around 10:20 am when workers of a construction site were doing a safety inspection on drainage pipelines at the side of a highway, said the emergency management bureau of the prefecture.

The collapse of the slope, next to drainage pipelines, left five people trapped. Later, after rescuers arrived to perform the rescue, it collapsed again, trapping another six people.

Search and rescue efforts began immediately. All 11 people are now accounted for, with seven injured and four dead.

Investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.