HANGZHOU, July 5 -- The death toll from a factory building collapse in east China's Zhejiang Province has risen to nine, the local government said Sunday.

Fifty-one people were working in the shoemaking factory in Wenling City when the building collapsed at around 4 p.m. Saturday. Nine narrowly escaped. Rescuers had pulled out 42 and sent them to hospital as of 1:30 a.m.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.