Nine people are being held by the Chinese authorities following the collapse of a 13 storey building under construction in Shanghai on Saturday.

The building was put under strain after earth was removed from under it for the addition of a garage causing the banks of a nearby river to burst, according to local press.

It is believed those under arrest are members of the developers, contractors and the supervisor for the site. The incident is a further example of bad practice in the Chinese construction industry which the authorities are working to combat following the devastation caused by the Sichuan earthquake in May last year which caused outrage when many schools collapsed.