5 dead in China homes collapse

Five people were found dead after a residential building collapsed in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, local authorities said Thursday night.

Part of a five-storey residential building in Dahui village of Wencheng County collapsed at about 8 a.m. Thursday, burying nine people from two families.

Rescuers located an old woman in the debris and were striving to getting her out of the collapsed building.

The 63-year-old woman made a phone call to her family under the rubble at 7 p.m.. "Judging from her voice, she is badly injured," said a rescuer.

Hundreds of paramilitary officers, fire fighters, township officials and medical workers are carrying out rescue operation.

"The scene is quite chaotic, as if the place was leveled by an earthquake," a rescuer told Xinhua by telephone. "We have to work very carefully because the wreckages of the ruined building are joined to homes still standing."

One of the adjacent homes, he said, was already damaged with a big hole in its outer wall. Endi