Building collapse in India kills at least 14 workers

PANAJI, India - A five-story building under construction in the southern Indian state of Goa collapsed on Saturday, killing at least 14 workers and leaving dozens more feared trapped under the rubble, police said.

Soldiers were deployed to help rescuers and firefighters sift through the enormous pile of concrete and dust, as the chance of finding survivors dwindled. 

Authorities were trying to determine how many people were at the construction site when the structure crumpled in Canacona, a city about 44 miles from the state capital of Panaji, Police Superintendent Shekhar Prabhudessai said.

Witnesses said about 40 workers were at the site.

"It was like an earthquake when the building fell," witness Ramesh Naik said. "You could not see what exactly had happened because of the dust."

Prabhudessai said the cause of the collapse had not been determined.

Building collapses are common in India, as massive demand for housing and lax regulations often encourage builders to cut corners by using substandard materials or add unauthorized extra floors.