(CNN) A seven-story building collapsed in Cambodia's coastal Preah Sihanouk province, killing three people, seriously injuring 18 and leaving many trapped under the rubble.

The building, which was under construction and slated to become a hotel, collapsed at 5 a.m. local (6 p.m. ET) in southwest Cambodia, according to a statement released by Cambodia's General Commissariat of National Police.

"We have pulled out a body and we see two more bodies still stuck between debris," Yun Min, the governor of Preah Sihanouk province, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.

Images of the site showed an excavator digging into the debris during the ongoing search and rescue operation.

Police are questioning a Chinese woman arrested hours after the collapse, it said in a statement. She admitted she was responsible for the building site, police added.

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