Tunnel collapse death toll rises to 9

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-11-20  |     ONLINE EDITION

THE death toll of the Hangzhou City subway tunnel collapse has increased to nine after another body was discovered about 2pm today, according to Xinhua News agency.

More than 400 rescue personnel are still searching for 12 missing workers, who now have a slim chance of being found alive. About 6,000 square meters of mud and silt have been dug out of the collapsed tunnel since the accident occurred on Saturday, the report said.

Meanwhile, a newspaper report said work was illegally subcontracted out four times on the under construction subway tunnel, according to 21st Century Business Herald.

China Railway Construction Group Co first subcontracted the project to its unit China Railway Group Ltd. It then subcontracted the project to China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group Co. Tiesiju then subcontracted the project to its unit Hangzhou Subway Project Company. Some small construction companies were then hired by Hanghzou Subway Project Company unit to do some work on the project, the newspaper said today.

Some industry insiders told the newspaper that these companies were capable of doing construction work but unable to get a contract. After the construction project was subcontracted to them, the subcontractors were supposed to turn in ``management fees’’ to China Railway Group Ltd, they said.

Victims in the accident included concrete workers, carpenters, chiselers and casual laborers.

Li Jin, who was in charge of the chiseling team, told the newspaper that he got the business from a man surnamed Fang in the Project Department of China Railway Group Ltd in September.

“We had been working for over two months but have not signed a contract yet,’’ he was quoted as saying.

A casual laborer surnamed Liu, a native from Anhui Province, said the team he was on was subcontracted by a Sichuan Province native.