China subway accident death toll rises to 17

Beijing: The death toll from a subway tunnel collapse in eastern China has risen to 17, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The collapse of a half-built subway tunnel in Hangzhou, capital of China's Zhejiang province, left dozens of people trapped in vehicles and a public bus.

The accident, China's deadliest for subway construction, prompted other cities to conduct safety checks on subway projects.

Ten people remained in hospital and insurance companies had paid $1.47 million in compensation, state-run web portal China.com.cn reported.

Hangzhou mayor Cai Qi said the accident had exposed "serious problems" in the city's subway construction and ordered authorities to step up safety checks.