The hotel in the city of Quanzhou collapsed at around 7.30pm on March 7, 2020. Photo: WEIBO

About 70 people were trapped in a collapsed hotel in the city of Quanzhou, in southeastern Fujian Province, the city government said on its website.

The collapsed hotel is used for coronavirus quarantine, according to the official People's Daily.

#BREAKING: A hotel building collapsed in Quanzhou, SE China's Fujian at around 7 pm Saturday, trapping an unknown number of people under it. So far 16 people have been rescued. Rescue work remains underway. pic.twitter.com/rK7tEagQvV— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) March 7, 2020

The building collapsed at around 7:30 p.m., and by 9 p.m., 23 people had been rescued, the city government said.

No reason for the collapse was given.