three people were killed after an under-construction building on Thursday afternoon collapsed at Sarjapur road in Bengaluru’s Kasavanahalli locality. The Bengaluru Police said several other workers are feared trapped in the debris.

Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj said though the under-construction building was five-storeyed, the builders were only sanctioned to build three storeys. “We will initiate action against the owner and the contractor, but our priority is to rescue people trapped under the debris,” Raj said.

Abdul Ahad, deputy commissioner of police (Whitefield division), said the owner of the building was identified as Rafique. “The building was developed to accommodate paying guests but later the owner tried to convert it into a commercial building,” Ahad told PTI. “The construction had started six years ago, but was stopped midway.”

He said the construction resumed six months ago and that there were labourers from other states as well.

The state Disaster Management said a team of the National Disaster Response Force was assisting the Karnataka Fire Department in the rescue operation. Eight fire tenders were called in to the spot.