Eight people are dead and nine are missing after a budget hotel collapsed in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, the local government said on Tuesday.
Six people were rescued from the rubble of the Siji Kaiyuan hotel, which collapsed on Monday afternoon, the government of the Wujiang district said on social media.
Authorities had suggested that 14 people were rescued, but offered the new tally after “further analysis and screening of new information".
Authorities have not yet reported the cause of the collapse.
The hotel opened in 2018 and had 54 guest rooms, its listing on travel website Ctrip said.
Images from the scene showed rescue workers searching for survivors in large piles of rubble.
Suzhou, a city of more than 12 million people, is about 100 kilometres west of Shanghai and is a popular tourist destination because of its canals and centuries-old gardens.
Building collapses are not uncommon in China and are often blamed on lax construction standards or corruption.
The collapse of a quarantine hotel in the southern city of Quanzhou in March last year killed 29 people, with authorities later finding that three floors were illegally added to the building's original four-storey structure.
In May, one of China's tallest skyscrapers, the SEG Plaza in the southern city of Shenzhen, was evacuated after it shook a number of times over several days.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
