Twelve people died from the collapse of a shopping mall in southern China, state media reported Sunday, correcting the previous death toll announced by the authorities.
The Beijing Morning Post said authorities had completed investigations and found that 12 people died, not eight as previously reported, when a shopping center collapsed in Dongguan city, southern Guangdong province earlier this month.
Twenty-eight others were injured in the accident in which the first floor of the building buckled under the weight of two storeys illegally added by the owner.
As of last week, 12 were still in hospital, but out of danger.
Local police have detained for questioning the owners of the mall and its construction company, the building's architect and an engineer.
State media warn that Guangdong houses more than 10 million square meters (930,000 square feet) of illegally constructed buildings, and is a disaster waiting to happen -- BEIJING (AFP)
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