16 die in roof collapse in N. China

BEIJING, May 30 Kyodo

Sixteen people were killed and 29 injured in northern China when the roof of a farmer's new house collapsed in northern China's Inner Mongolia, state media reported Wednesday.

About 50 people were attending a banquet Tuesday evening held by Yang Hongyi of Tongliao city to celebrate the near completion of his house when its roof collapsed, burying more than 40 of them, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The 16 people killed in the accident ranged in age from 23 to 69, the report quoted a rescuer as saying.

The 29 injured were rushed to local hospitals.

Officials are investigating what caused the accident, the report said.

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