A rescue team searches for victims after a construction site scaffolding collapsed Tuesday, January 12, 2010, in Wuhu City, East China's Anhui Province. [Xinhua]

Eight people were confirmed dead in a scaffold collapse at a construction site in east China's Anhui Province Tuesday, local authorities said.

A scaffold and a concrete roof collapsed at a construction site of Wuhu Huaqiang Culture and Technology Industrial Park in Wuhu City at midday Tuesday, burying 15 workers.

Seven workers were saved shortly after the accident. Three of them were sent to hospital and the other four, with slight injuries, joined the rescue work for the other eight.

Rescue work lasted until midnight, with all eight confirmed dead, said Zhang Min, a publicity official with the Wuhu municipal committee of the Communist Party of China.

Investigators said the accident was a result of improper operation, but gave no details.

The park, with an investment of 2.5 billion yuan (366 million U.S. dollars) from Shenzhen Huaqiang Holdings Limited, is due to open on May 1.