International auditors are resigning from China’s struggling property developers as a wave of delayed financial results increases uncertainty.

Big Four accounting firm PwC, which audits more than a dozen listed Chinese developers, is under investigation in Hong Kong over an Evergrande audit. It and Deloitte have resigned as auditors of at least five Chinese developers in the past three months.

A total of 10 developers have announced they are delaying their audited results ahead of a 31 March deadline after the sector was hit with a series of defaults.

Big Four auditors have signed off on the accounts of China’s real estate developers for years despite warning signs that the developers might not be able to meet their large financial obligations.