Hotel building collapses killing at least one in Argentina

29 October 2024, 12:10 | Updated: 29 October 2024, 20:55

A 10-storey hotel building has collapsed in Argentina, leaving one person dead with several others trapped in the rubble.

Rescue teams are currently working to remove debris after part of the Dubrovnik hotel in the coastal city of Villa Gesell, in Buenos Aires province, collapsed at about 1am local time, the local council said.

Between seven and nine people, including workers from a construction site, are thought to have been inside at the time.

Firefighters searching for survivors rescued one woman from the rubble.

Javier Alonso, security minister for the Buenos Aires province, told journalists that an 80-year-old man died in the collapse.

Four people have also been arrested, according to an updated statement from the local council.

The local council said construction workers are believed to have been working on a project that was being carried out without municipal permits.

It said the project had been halted by the council in August of this year.

"At this time, although it is not possible to speak with any exact details about the collapse, it can be confirmed that the structure in the collapsed part [the rear part] would have been modified illegally and irregularly," the local council added.

Emergency services, including firefighters and police, are working on the scene, a statement released by Villa Gesell municipality said.

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"The municipality of Villa Gesell requests that residents and the media be cautious with any information they may circulate," the statement said.

"These are key moments in which work is being done to prevent the loss of human lives."

(c) Sky News 2024: Hotel building collapses killing at least one in Argentina