The death toll from a building collapse in north China's Hebei Province rose to 17 on Tuesday afternoon, said local authorities.

Three injured victims have been hospitalized.

The collapse happened at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday in the Tengfei Malleable Iron Casting Co. Ltd.'s building in Nanshijiazhuang village, Xizhaotong township in Shijiazhuang, Hebei's capital, as the city was hit by torrential rain.

The Hebei Provincial Weather Observatory issued warnings at 7 a.m. of probable hazards from thunderstorms and torrential rain. During the morning, 65.7 mm of rain fell on the city.

The two-storey building collapsed after a lightning strike amid loud thunder, an unidentified villager said.

Rescuers said they found a total of 20 people buried in the rubble of the unfinished building and most of them were local construction workers.

Rescue operations finished at about 7 p.m.

The site of the accident was cordoned off by police.

Initial investigation blamed lightning strike for the collapse.

But this has sparked suspicion. Two witnesses, who declined to give them names, said they didn't hear any thunder when the building collapsed.

The accident was under further investigation, the Shijiazhuang municipal publicity department said late Tuesday.

Some unidentified persons earlier assaulted reporters and snatched their camaras to interrupt the interviewing.

The camaras, some of which were damaged, have been returned to reporters after mediation by local government officials.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2009)