House collapse in China crushes four: official

A two-story house in central China collapsed on Fridaymorning while being lifted off its foundation, crushing four people to deathand burying an unknown number of others, the local government said.

Dozens of people were helping to move the house, which saton low-lying ground, when it collapsed, said the Yanjin county government saidin a statement on its website. In addition to the four dead, others wereburied, said a Yanjin government official who would give only his surname,Zheng.

The state-run China News Service said 37 people were workingat the site at the time of the accident. Police, firefighters and emergencycrews were dispatched to the village in central Henan province about 650kilometers, or 400 miles, south of Beijing.

The government and state media accounts did not say whetherthe house was being moved to a different location or just being placed on anew, higher foundation.