Story highlights The buildings collapsed early Monday local time

State media reports they were built by villagers

28 people were rescued from the rubble

The story below contains a graphic image

Hong Kong (CNN) At least 22 people were killed in eastern China when residential buildings collapsed early Monday morning local time, state media reported.

It's not clear what caused the collapse in Wenzhou, which is 285 miles (460 km) south of Shanghai and located in the province of Zhejiang.

Xinhua news agency reported that the buildings which fell apart were constructed by villagers. The cause of the collapse, according to the agency, is still being investigated.

Rescuers search for survivors at an accident site after four buildings caved in during the early hours in Wenzhou, eastern China's Zhejiang province on October 10.

Some 28 people were rescued, and the six who survived are in stable condition, according to Xinhua.

The latest, the agency reported, was a young girl found in the rubble being shielded from the cave-in by her parents.

Read More</s>At least 20 people were killed today when four multi-storey residential buildings packed with migrant workers collapsed in eastern China’s coastal Zhejiang Province.

The six-storey buildings collapsed in Wenzhou’s Lucheng industrial district and rescuers were verifying the number of people trapped under the debris.

Earlier today rescuers pulled out six people alive from under the debris, state—run Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescuers said the buildings that collapsed were built by villagers themselves. Five adjacent houses built in the 1970s remain standing, but rescuers demolished them to avoid any chance of secondary accidents.

Sun Jing, an officer with the city’s fire department, said the debris was as high as a three-story building. “To protect those who are trapped, we are mainly digging with our bare hands, so that work is going slowly.”

According to Zhou Liqiang, who has been living nearby for over 10 years, the victims were mainly migrant workers.

Survivor Yan Yongfa, 57, said he shared one room with four other workers and their boss rented the room for them.

Each room in the collapsed building used to have two to three tenants, the report cited Yan as saying.

The cause of the collapse was under investigation.

Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in China mainly due to poor construction.

In May, 16 people were reported dead after a residential building in Guizhou province in the southwest collapsed due to landslides.

Two people were killed and 24 injured in April when a storm brought down a wholesale market building in Foshan city, in the southern province of Guangdong.</s>BEIJING — The death toll has risen to at least 22 in the collapse of a group of decrepit homes in eastern China, state media reported Tuesday.

There were six survivors pulled from the rubble on the outskirts of the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, Xinhua News Agency said in a brief report, adding search and rescue efforts were “basically over.”

The cause of the collapses on Monday was under investigation, although reports said the four buildings were built in the 1970s by their farmer owners and were in a highly degraded state. Extra floors had been added over the years, making them between three and five stories high and further weakening their structures.

Poor construction quality has long been a problem in China, particularly in the countryside and smaller cities.</s>BEIJING (AP) — At least 10 people were killed in the collapse of a group of decrepit homes Monday in eastern China, state media reported.

By Monday evening, 15 people had pulled from the rubble on the outskirts of the city of Wenzhou and rescue efforts were continuing, mainly by hand to avoid harming any survivors, the Xinhua News Agency said.

The cause of the collapses was under investigation, although the reports said the four buildings were built in the 1970s by their farmer owners and were in a highly degraded state. Extra floors had also been added over the years, making them between three and five stories high and further weakening their structures.

Poor construction quality has long been a problem in China, particularly in the countryside and smaller cities.</s>A little girl protected by the embrace of her dead father was the last survivor pulled out of the rubble of collapsed multi-storey buildings in China, reports said Tuesday.

She was found deep in the debris of four six-storey residential buildings more than 12 hours after they crumbled in Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang, killing at least 22 people, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Three-year-old Wu Ningxi survived with only minor injuries thanks to the protection offered by her young father, who was found dead after shielding her from falling rubble, it added.

“The child was able to survive entirely thanks to the fact that her dad used his own flesh and blood to prop up a life-saving space for his daughter,” a rescuer told the China Youth Daily.

The 26-year-old shoe factory worker was found under a thick cement pillar, draped over his daughter.

The family had been buried alive in their living room and the body of Wu’s mother was discovered not far from the pair.

Photos showed hard-hatted rescuers lifting the girl’s half-naked body from the mess of cement and fallen bricks late Monday, her hair matted with dust as they carried her out and gingerly placed her onto a stretcher.

The search through the three-storey-high debris concluded early Tuesday, the Lucheng district government said at a press conference, with 22 confirmed dead and only five survivors other than the girl rescued.

The cause of the disaster was still under investigation, CCTV said.

Recent heavy rainfall combined with the poor quality of construction and age of the buildings, built by the villagers themselves, were probable contributing factors, it cited a preliminary analysis as saying.

Neighbouring buildings constructed in the 1970s were being demolished to prevent further collapses, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The buildings had been packed with migrant workers, among them Wu’s parents, hundreds of millions of whom have moved from China’s countryside to its towns and cities in recent decades, their labour fuelling the country’s economic boom.

Many remain poorly paid and face restrictions on buying homes in the areas where they work.

China has seen several building collapses in recent years, with some blamed on low-quality construction.

In May 16 people were reported dead after a residential building in Guizhou province in the southwest collapsed due to landslides. – AFP</s>It's not clear what caused the collapse in Wenzhou, which is 285 miles (460 km) south of Shanghai and located in the province of Zhejiang.

Xinhua news agency reported that the buildings which fell apart were constructed by villagers. The cause of the collapse, according to the agency, is still being investigated.

Some 28 people were rescued, and the six who survived are in stable condition, according to Xinhua.

The latest, the agency reported, was a young girl found in the rubble being shielded from the cave-in by her parents.

The tragic image appears show the immediate aftermath of the collapse frozen in time. Heart-wrenching: Parents shield daughter as the building collapsed in east Chinahttps://t.co/Tgb4BT2o8d pic.twitter.com/HveEGvNSlZ — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) October 10, 2016 Xinhua reports that the girl's parents died, but People's Daily, another state-run news organization, said it "remains to be seen" if the couple will live. The 800-person rescue operation was finished at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, Xinhua reported.</s>Eight people were killed after a group of houses collapsed in China on Monday, local authorities said.

The four buildings caved in during the early hours in Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Lucheng district government said in a social media posting.

Eight people were found dead and five had been rescued by midday Monday, it said, without giving indications of the numbers missing.

The official Xinhua news agency said rescuers were still verifying the number of people trapped under the debris. It reported earlier on social media an “initial estimate” that more than 20 people had been buried.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

Pictures from the scene showed workers in orange suits sifting through a mountain of ruins.

China has seen several building collapses in recent years, with some blamed on low quality construction.

In May, 16 people were reported dead after a residential building in Guizhou province in the southwest collapsed due to landslides.

Two people were killed and 24 injured in April when a storm brought down a wholesale market building in Foshan city, in the southern province of Guangdong. – AFP</s>BEIJING: Eight people died when a group of houses collapsed in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang on Monday, local authorities said.

The four buildings caved in during the early hours in Wenzhou, a prefecture level city of of Zhejiang, the Lucheng district government said in a social media posting.

Eight people were found dead and five had been rescued by midday Monday, it said, without giving indications of the numbers missing.

The official Xinhua news agency said rescuers were still verifying the number of people trapped under the debris. It reported earlier on social media an “initial estimate” that more than 20 people had been buried.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

Pictures from the scene showed workers in orange suits sifting through a mountain of ruins.

China has seen several building collapses in recent years, with some blamed on low quality construction.</s>It's not clear what caused the collapse in Wenzhou, which is 285 miles (460 km) south of Shanghai and located in the province of Zhejiang.

Xinhua news agency reported that the buildings which fell apart were constructed by villagers. The cause of the collapse, according to the agency, is still being investigated.

Some 28 people were rescued, and the six who survived are in stable condition, according to Xinhua.

The latest, the agency reported, was a young girl found in the rubble being shielded from the cave-in by her parents.

The tragic image appears show the immediate aftermath of the collapse frozen in time. Rescuers try to save a young survivor who was protected by the body of her parents at an accident site after four buildings caved in during the early hours in Wenzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Xinhua reports that the girl's parents died, but People's Daily, another state-run news organization, said it "remains to be seen" if the couple will live. The 800-person rescue operation was finished at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, Xinhua reported.</s>BEIJING — Chinese state media say 10 people have been killed in the collapse of a group of decrepit homes in an eastern region.

The official Xinhua News Agency says that 15 people were pulled from the rubble Monday on the outskirts of the city of Wenzhou and that rescue work is continuing, mainly by hand to avoid harming any survivors.

Reports said the four buildings were built in the 1970s by their farmer owners and were in a highly degraded state. Extra floors had also been added over the years, making them between three and five stories high and further weakening their structures.

Poor construction quality has long been a problem in China, particularly in the countryside and smaller cities.
A residential building collapses in the eastern China city of Wenzhou, leaving at least 22 people dead.