13 dead in 80-year-old, three-story hotel collapse in southern India

Indian rescue workers look for survivors from the debris of a collapsed building near Hyderabad, India, July 8, 2013. (Photo : Xinhua/Stringer)

At least 13 people have been confirmed dead while 18 others injured in the collapse of a 80- year-old three-story hotel in Secunderabad city in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh Monday, a senior police official said.

“The death toll has now risen to 13. All the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital. Efforts are on to rescue some others who are still feared trapped under the debris of Hotel City Light in Secunderabad near state capital Hyderabad, which collapsed after its roof crashed at 6.30 a.m. local time. The death toll may go up,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Local TV channels showed footage of rescuers pulling out survivors and dead bodies from the roubles and reported that the deceased included hotel employees and customers who went to have breakfast at the hotel which has already been served a notice because of its old building.

Indian Fire Brigade personnel rescue an injured victim from a collapsed building near Hyderabad, India, July 8, 2013. (Photo : Xinhua/Stringer)

State Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy visited the spot and has ordered a probe into the incident.

Building collapses are common in India because of poor construction practices.

Relatives wail over the victims around the site of a collapsed building near Hyderabad, India, July 8, 2013. (Photo : Xinhua/Stringer)

Nine people were killed in two separate building collapses in Mumbai last month while at least 74 people perished in another building collapse on the outskirts of India’s financial capital in April this year. <Xinhua/NEWSis>