The collapse of the foundation of a building at a hospital construction site in north China's Hebei Province killed four workers, the hospital said Monday.

The four were buried in the foundation at the Hebei People's Hospital Monday noon. They were rescued but died in hospital because they had stopped breathing too long, doctors said.

The emergency rescue stopped at 4:20 PM.

The construction team started the building about two weeks ago, a worker said.

Continuous rains made the soil soft, which may have caused the collapse, he said. Local authorities were investigating its cause.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2009)