China: Death toll in hotel collapse rises to 17

The death toll in a hotel collapse in eastern China rose to 17 on Wednesday, and authorities ended search and rescue efforts.

A total of 23 people were rescued alive from the rubble of the Kaiyuan Hotel, which collapsed Tuesday afternoon, the city of Suzhou said on social media.

Rescuers used cranes, ladders, metal cutters and trained dogs to search for survivors.

Most of the dead were hotel guests.

More than 600 people, including rescue teams, and 120 vehicles were mobilized for the operation. Suzhou City is located in Jiangsu Province, near Shanghai.

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