The building, which housed a hotel, several apartments and a cinema, collapsed Friday afternoon. According to the authorities, after about 50 hours of rescue efforts, seven people were pulled from the rubble. At least 16 more people are said to be incarcerated. In addition, there are still almost 40 people with whom the authorities cannot get in touch and their fate is feared.
More than 700 rescuers have been dispatched to help free people and search for the missing.
It is not yet clear how the building could collapse. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a thorough investigation into the cause on Saturday.
Nine people have been arrested, including the building owner and a team of security inspectors. They allegedly falsified a security statement for the building.