Deaths in the collapse of a hotel in eastern China are now 17 with nine missing Wednesday. Authorities have ended search and rescue efforts.
A section of the Siji Kaiyuan Hotel in Jiangsu province collapsed late Monday, the Suzhou Municipal Government said in a statement.
The Ministry of Emergency Management sent a rescue team using dogs, metal cutters, cranes and ladders, state-run news media said.
More than 600 staff and 120 vehicles were mobilized.
At least 14 have been rescued. Most of the dead were hotel guests, The Associated Press reported.
Communist Party Secretary Lou Qinjian, Jiangsu's highest official, visited rescuers and victims Tuesday, reports said.
Authorities have subpoenaed the hotel's managers and legal representatives, including those who worked on the design and construction of the building, AP said.
The Siji Kaiyuan is a budget hotel opened in 2018. The part of the building that collapsed was three stories.
Siji Kaiyuan had 54 rooms, according to Ctrip, a China online booking site.
Suzhou, a city in Jiangsu province near Shanghai with a population of around 12 million, is popular for its traditional China gardens, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
In China, building collapses are not uncommon - a result of a combination of poor construction materials and alleged corruption, The Independent said.
In March 2020, nearly 30 people died in the collapse of a quarantine hotel in southern China's Quanzhou.
In May this year, guests were evacuated from the SEG Plaza in the southern city of Shenzhen after the building swayed for several days.
An investigation continues into the cause of the Siji Kaiyuan collapse.
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