At least three people have died after a section of a four-storied hotel collapsed near Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram late on Monday, leaving 10 people trapped under the debris.
A case has been registered against the hotel owner under various criminal provisions including homicide, the police said.
The building collapsed during renovation work. The remaining section of the hotel is also said to be in a dilapidated state.
Fire, police and army personnel are still engaged in rescue operations, the police said.
An eyewitness said at least four people had been were seriously injured and were admitted to the nearby Medical College Hospital.
The police and the civic authorities have begun investigations into the cause of the collapse.
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