BAKU, August 29 (RIA Novosti) - The bodies of nine workers have been pulled from the rubble of a multi-story building that collapsed while under construction on Tuesday in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.
Eight construction workers were injured and hospitalized, the country's emergency situations ministry said Wednesday.
The Azerbaijan News Service TV channel said the rescued people had managed to contact friends and relatives by phone, informing them that they were trapped in the building's basement.
In line with the latest information over 10 people are believed to be still trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building.
Preliminary reports said the cause of the collapse may have been breaches in safety regulations at the construction site. A criminal case has been opened into the case, Baku Prosecutor Aziz Seidov said.
Azerbaijani media reported that two construction managers involved in the project have already been arrested.
A spokesman for the construction company said he heard the sound of an explosion before the building collapsed, but no eyewitnesses have confirmed this.
Other eyewitnesses said they had felt a tremor before the building collapsed, but these reports have been dismissed by local officials. Some officials suggested that those responsible for the tragedy had deliberately spread rumors of a tremor as a means of avoiding responsibility.
Residents in nearby buildings have been evacuated, following reports that their homes could also be under threat.
Investigators said building work at the site started five years ago, and 16 floors had been built at the time of the collapse.
