A ten-storey hotel building has collapsed in the Argentine coastal city of Villa Gesell, Buenos Aires province, with a large-scale rescue operation underway to free people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday at the Hotel Dubrovnik, where between seven and nine individuals, including construction workers allegedly operating without municipal permits, were thought to be inside at the time, according to local authorities.
Rescue teams, including over 300 firefighters, police, and other officials, have been on-site for more than eight hours, working to remove debris in an effort to reach any survivors. Firefighters have managed to rescue an elderly woman from the rubble, while an 80-year-old man was reported dead, provincial security minister Javier Alonso told local media outlet Pagina 12.
“There were no guests in the hotel at the time,” Mr. Alonso confirmed, adding that construction workers were occupying a different part of the hotel, which was originally built in 1986. The collapse has also put an adjacent building at risk, prompting city mayor Gustavo Barrera to warn of possible further evacuations.
The municipality reportedly halted construction work at the hotel site in August, citing the lack of proper permits. Four arrests have been made in connection with the incident, with prosecutors launching an investigation into the cause of the collapse.
This is a developing story, and updates will follow as more information becomes available
