At least eight people died and others were feared trapped under rubble after a mosque under construction collapsed in north-western China's Qinghai province, state media said on Friday.
About 24 others were injured in the collapse at Taer town in Qinghai's Datong county on Thursday, including three in serious condition, the official Xinhua news agency said.
"The exact number of people at the scene is still unknown," the agency quoted a rescue official as saying, reported dpa.
"Casualties may increase as more people could be buried in the debris," the official said.
One child was among the dead, the agency said without elaborating.
All the victims were from the traditionally Muslim Hui ethnic group.
Officials were investigating the possibility that a supporting beam may have failed, the agency said.