BEIJING — The hotel collapse in East China's Fujian province is a production accident as the building used for coronavirus quarantine had been illegally reconstructed several times, a senior official said on March 10.

As of 9:00 am on March 10, 61 people were rescued from the collapsed Xinjia Hotel in Licheng district in the city of Quanzhou, and among them, 20 had died, Shang Yong, deputy head of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), told a press conference.

Ten remain missing and rescue efforts are still underway, Shang said.

After the accident, the local fire department of Quanzhou city sent 361 fire fighters to the site, while Fujian province dispatched another 11 search and rescue teams with over 800 fire fighters to engage in the rescue.

Noting potential infection risks, the ministry has mobilized protective gear and disinfectants in the rescue action to minimize exposure.

Shang said the accident has exposed safety loopholes neglected by local authorities.

The MEM has pledged to launch a comprehensive accident investigation to identify the cause and hold relevant officials accountable after the investigation is complete, he added.