Death toll in the collapse of a hotel building in Hyderabad on Monday mounted to 17 with rescue teams recovering five more bodies since last night.
As two workers of the City light Hotel including the cook were missing, the rescue teams were continuing their search operation and the debris was being cleared under the supervision of MT Krishna Babu, the Commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
The two-storey building of the hotel in Secunderabad area had collapsed in the wee hours of Monday. Twenty injured were being treated.
A probe was underway to ascertain the reason for the sudden collapse resulting in a major tragedy. Preliminary findings suggest that the hotel management had undertaken an unauthorised construction work on the terrace of the 80-year-old building further adding to the pressure on the structure.
Fifty-year-old City light Hotel was a major landmark among the Irani hotels in the city and was popular jaunt for the tea lovers. Mujtaba Bulaqi, son of the owner was among the victims.