Ninth survivor of Changsha building collapse rescued

CHANGSHA -- A ninth survivor has been pulled from the rubble after a self-built residential structure collapsed in Central China's Hunan province.

The woman, rescued at approximately 4:15 am Tuesday, has been sent to hospital.

Rescue workers said the woman had repeatedly knocked on hard objects to signal her location, and her exact location was determined through the use of life detection instruments and a manual search.

Medical personnel at the scene said the woman was conscious and had normal vital signs as she was able to communicate with rescue workers.

The collapse took place at 12:24 pm on Friday in Wangcheng District in the provincial capital, Changsha. A total of 23 people are believed to have been trapped in the building, according to a preliminary investigation.

As of 7 pm Tuesday, two victims have been found dead, according to a press briefing.

Liang Buge, an expert member of the onsite emergency rescue group, said that rescue workers from the fire service shouted out to find survivors, knocked on surfaces and used search-and-rescue dogs, life detectors and drones in the rescue operation.