The death toll from the construction site accident in Beijing on Monday could be as high as 12, sources said yesterday.

As of Tuesday, seven workers were confirmed dead and more are believed to be buried under the debris, a construction worker said.

"About five to six people are still trapped," said Chen Yinbao, 40, who has been helping with rescue operations since Monday night.

"They really have no chance of surviving in all that tangled wreckage of concrete and steel," Chen said.

The accident happened at 10 PM on Monday when scaffolding at the Xixi Project construction site in the Xidan area collapsed.

The collapse was blamed on the weak scaffolding supports, which gave way. The Beijing Construction Committee is conducting an investigation into the accident.

Heavy load

More than 40 workers and a heavy load of cement were on the platform at the time of the accident, workers said.

Three workers were pronounced dead at the scene and one died later in hospital.

Another three were found dead on Tuesday. All the victims, including 22 others who were injured, were from southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Helping in rescue operations has been difficult for Chen.

"I am so scared now after having seen my colleagues die," he said. "But I cannot quit because I won't get my salary until the work is completed."

As rescue workers continued their search, other construction workers mourned the loss of their colleagues.

Guo Minzhang, 50, who shared a room with Xu Wancai, who was confirmed dead on Tuesday, was having trouble recovering from the shock of his roommate's death.

"He was only 27," Guo said. "He left two young kids and a wife at home, plus his parents. He was the family's only breadwinner.

"The doctors told me Xu suffered massive head injuries, and he's already gone. I didn't see his body."

Happiness in the face of tragedy

Li Shilin, 55, who saved three of his fellow Yilong County residents, said he will never forget the moment when the first light penetrated the darkness of the construction site after the tragedy.

"We did a head count and all were there. We hugged one another and cried," Li recalled.

At 6 PM on Monday, Li and his colleagues went to work on the night shift to mix cement and water on the platform, which was more than 20 meters above ground level.

"Suddenly the platform fell down, and I didn't have time to figure out how," Li said. "When I woke up a few minutes later, it was all dark and very quiet.

"I found myself covered from head to toe in cement. It was terrifying."

Li crawled five meters to the wall of the building and began to shout the name of his team leader, Wang Cheng.

"I called his name three times, but still no answer. I kept calling out his name, and then I heard him calling my name. I was so glad he was alive."

Then, others started calling out as well.

Li and Wang, who were unhurt, followed the sounds of their colleagues' voices and carried some of their injured colleagues out of the building before the ambulances arrived.

(China Daily September 8, 2005)