The building, which was under construction, collapsed and buried dozens of workers last evening in the Puzi village of Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, officials said today.
More than 220 police, fire fighters and rescuers, along with 42 excavators and other vehicles were brought in for the rescue mission.
A total of 35 people were pulled out of the debris and admitted to local hospitals, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The building was a public venue used for village gathering.