Workers die in China railway collapse

A building has collapsed at a construction site on the Shanghai-Nanjing railway in eastern China killing nine workers and injuring 21 others.

Another four workers are missing after the incident, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the Jiangsu province.

State media reports suggest a gas explosion at a workers' dormitory caused the collapse.

The new line is part of China's plans to build more than 12000 km of high speed railway to connect its major cities.

The rail line will be among the world's fastest when it opens in 2012, with trains capable of up to 380 km/hour.

The focus on China's railways is part of the CNY 4 trillion (US$ 585 billion) stimulus plan announced in November to boost domestic demand in the face of the economic downturn.

A further CNY 2 trillion (US$ 300 billion) will be invested in China's railway infrastructure over the next two years.