Death toll from wedding hall collapse rises

The death toll from the collapse of a wedding hall in east China's Zhejiang Province has risen to nine, local authorities said on Friday. The accident happened at around 5:20 p.m. on Thursday in Yazhuang village, Pan'an County, when more than 200 guests were celebrating in the hall, which was an old structure, said Yu Manxing, a county government spokesman, at a press conference on Friday. A total of 91 people were injured and taken to hospital, including 12 who remain in severe conditions, Yu said, adding that two patients had been discharged. More than 100 firefighters and policemen attended the scene, along with villagers who volunteered to help, Yu said. "Only a few minutes after I sat down to dine, I heard squeaks of wood. Then the roof fell in the minute I looked up," said Chen Dianzhong, who is being treated for injuries to his waist and legs. A preliminary investigation found that a large amount of snow on the roof caused the accident, Yu said. The county government has ordered all villages to temporarily halt gatherings.