The owner of a building in southern China that collapsed last week killing at least eight people said the accident was "100 percent his fault," state media reported Friday.
Ye Manlin, who was interviewed by the Yangcheng Evening News while being held by police in Guangdong province's Dongguan city, said he was not aware he had broken any regulation by adding two floors to a shopping center without first receiving permission.
"I've got only primary school education, and there are many things I don't understand," said Ye, described by the paper as a 30-something. "An architect told me it was possible to add (two more floors), so I just went ahead without thinking too much about it."
Ye, who was speaking to the press for the first time since the deadly collapse last Friday, said he "would never forget" what happened and would do everything to compensate the relatives of those killed.
"It's 100 percent my fault, but I think it's also other people's fault," he said without elaborating.
"I don't know what kind of responsibility I'll have to shoulder, and I don't even dare think about it."
Ye said he was in the building at the time of the collapse, and dismissed reports that more than 100 people had been trapped inside.
"A lot of people managed to get out before the collapse and I think between 20 and 30 were trapped at most," he said. "Afterwards, a lot of people were rescued from the rubble."
He said he immediately called for help after the collapse happened and personally helped five people from the building.
"My own leg was injured, but I didn't feel any pain," he told the paper.
Apart from Ye, local police have also detained the construction company owner, the building's architect and an engineer, according to reports.
State media on Friday warned that Guangdong province has more than 10 million square meters (930,000 square feet) of illegally constructed buildings and is a disaster waiting to happen.
The provincial government on Thursday issued a warning that all dangerous and illegal buildings in the province, which borders Hong Kong, would be pulled down immediately.
Guangdong vice governor Xu Deli ordered any project without permission from government planning departments to stop construction before the Spring Festival on January 24, or obtain legal permission to continue -- BEIJING (AFP)
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