NEW DELHI, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Five people are feared trapped under the debris after a hotel building collapsed Saturday in India's western state of Rajasthan, officials said.
So far no casualties have been reported in the building collapse.
The building collapsed in Kota, around 250 km south of Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan.
"Today a hotel building collapsed here in Dhan Mandi area," a police official posted in Kota said. "Three people have been rescued alive and there are fears five people are trapped under the debris of building."
Authorities have rushed fire service personnel, disaster response force personnel and police to the spot. Heavy machinery has been pressed into service to carry out rescue work.
Reports said the building housed a beer bar and a restaurant.
The cause of building collapse was being ascertained, police said.
Deadly accidents due to failing infrastructure (either new or old) is common in India. Construction experts blame the lax administration and corruption in India for flouting building rules that often results in using poor quality materials, inadequate supervision, poor safety standards for workers.
Earlier this month building collapse in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh claimed 10 lives.
