Four people died and 16 were injured when a snow-laden fuel pump shelter in Nanjing suddenly collapsed on Sunday afternoon, according to local sources.

The accident took place around 2:30 p.m. at the Sinopec Wujiang fuel pump station in Pukou District of Nanjing, the Jiangsu Province capital, when one van, one sedan and six motorbikes were refueling.

The station ceiling, with a floor area of 1,430 square meters, suddenly gave way to the thick snow that had accumulated on it over the past few days. When it hit the ground, it engulfed all the vehicles and people beneath it, said information from the city government.

It was not immediately known whether any station service workers were in the accident.

The victims were all rescued from the debris and rushed to hospital immediately. Four later died from their injuries. The others were hospitalized.
The accident is under further investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2008)