World Bulletin / News Desk

Search teams have recovered the bodies of all 16 people who were trapped in a building that collapsed in China's southern Guizhou province.

The last three victims were found dead in the debris as of 12.52 p.m.  Saturday after efforts involving more than 100 firefighters and soldiers, state news agency Xinhua cited authorities as saying.

The remains of 13 others had been discovered earlier in central Guiyang city.

The nine-story building – in which 114 resided - had collapsed before noon Wednesday. Of them, 98 had been confirmed safe shortly afterwards.

According to the Guiyang government, the accident is thought to have been caused by a landslide stemming from heavy rainfall.

Southern parts of China have been experiencing powerful rainstorms since early May.

Xinhua reported Saturday that the downpour had broken a 40-year record, with the country’s National Meteorological Center recording average rainfall of 199.9 millimeters -- 74 percent above the normal figure.

The storms are expected to continue through next week, with Guizhou and areas near the Yangtze River experiencing heavy rainfall from May 26-28. 

In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the south of Guizhou, two children were killed and 21 others wounded after a school bus swerved off a road and into a pond amid during heavy rainfall Friday.

Of the 21 injured kindergartners rushed to the hospital, three had been in serious condition, but were exhibiting signs of improvement as of early Saturday.

Xinhua reported local authorities had found that the driver had failed to control the minibus - designed to hold 11 passengers, but transporting 24 children and a teacher - under unsafe driving conditions.

An unnamed city government authority was cited as saying the vehicle also lacked a school bus license and had not undergone an annual check.

The driver, a teacher and two of the kindergarten's management personnel remain in police custody amid an ongoing investigation.