At least 1 dead after 10-story building collapses in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed after a 10-story building collapsed in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires early Tuesday, local authorities said.

The incident occurred around 1:00 a.m. local time at the Apart Hotel Dubrovnik, located at the intersection of Buenos Aires Street and Avenue 1, in Villa Gesell, a seaside resort city in the province of Buenos Aires.

Villa Gesell's municipal government confirmed in a statement that "a deceased man has been found," and an 80-year-old woman was rescued and transported to the municipal hospital. The total number of victims was unclear.

More than 300 personnel, including volunteer firefighters, police, healthcare staff, civil defense teams, and traffic agents, were participating in the rescue efforts.

According to the municipal government, it was estimated that between seven and nine people were in the hotel at the time of the collapse, including workers involved in an illegal construction project that neither complied with municipal regulations nor had the required permits. The municipality ordered a halt to the project in August this year.

Rescue teams were also deploying sniffer dogs to locate both survivors and victims, focusing on the adjacent building and the main collapse site. Additionally, a camera-equipped probe was being used to explore hard-to-reach areas within the debris.

An investigation into the collapse was underway, and four individuals linked to the unauthorized construction were detained at the site.

Villa Gesell is a popular tourist destination, especially between December and March, during the Southern Hemisphere's summer. And the Apart Hotel Dubrovnik, known for its ship-shaped facade, was regarded as an iconic landmark of the city, according to the local newspaper "Pagina/12." ■