Two persons were killed and several others feared trapped after an under-construction building collapsed in Dharwad in north Karnataka on Tuesday, police said.

MN Nagarj, commissioner of police, Dharwad, which is located about 450 km from the state capital, said the rescue operations were on and that he could not confirm how many people were still trapped under the debris.

“So far two persons have been confirmed dead. We have deployed three cranes and four earth movers …,” he said, adding that the identities of the deceased had not yet been established.

Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy expressed “shock” over the incident. He said he had advised the chief secretary of the state to ensure that experts were flown in to Dharwad to help in rescue efforts.

Rescuers have pulled out 28 people from the rubble, police said, adding, the injured have been hospitalised. As many as 10 ambulances and five fire tenders were deployed to carry out relief and rescue operations.