One person is feared dead and several others are believed to be trapped in rubble after a hotel collapsed in Argentina.
Reuters news agency quoted local authorities as saying the 10-story Dubrovnik hotel in the coastal city of Villa Gesell collapsed early Tuesday morning.
Up to 15 people are believed to have been inside the newly renovated hotel.
Rescue teams are working at the scene to try to free people believed to be trapped. Local media reported that a man in his 80s died as a result of the incident.
Local authorities said construction work on the hotel was halted in August at the behest of the city government because the renovation was carried out without proper permits.
However, neighbors told journalists that work on the building continued despite the suspension.
Argentine National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich posted on X that two specialized teams have been sent to the scene in Buenos Aires province.
She said structural engineers, rescue experts and dog teams trained in collapsed buildings were all in attendance, as well as staff equipped with specialized machinery and resources to support rescue efforts. .
The province’s security minister, Javier Alonso, told local radio that four bricklayers working at the construction site escaped the collapse and were arrested by police.
