The death toll rises to 17 when a part of the Chinese hotel sank in Reuters

BEIJING (Reuters) – The state media reported on Wednesday that the death toll in a partial collapse of a budget hotel in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou rose to 17.

According to state media, only six of the 23 people trapped in the rubble of the Siji Kaiyuan hotel in Suzhou have survived.

The search ended Wednesday morning and more than 650 people took part in the rescue operation.

The Jiangsu provincial government has set up a team to conduct an in-depth investigation into the causes of the sinking.

Siji Kaiyuan opened in 2018 and had a total of 54 rooms, according to online booking sites. Part of the hotel was three stories high.

Several state media outlets reported that it was initially determined that the owner had suffered as a result of a change in the structure of the hotel.

According to the Beijing Youth Daily, a hotel guest spoke of the sound of drilling and sand sucking before falling on Monday.

The building was shaking, the guest said.

Cities in Jiangsu have held an emergency meeting on the safety of existing construction structures and called for more rigorous inspections and oversight.