One man has lost his life, and nine others are missing following the collapse of a 10-story hotel in Argentina.
The 10-story hotel known as the Dubrovnik Hotel tragically collapsed in Villa Gesell, a coastal city approximately 230 miles, 370 kilometers, from Buenos Aires.
The collapse happened in the early hours of Tuesday, with firefighters, paramedics, and police racing against time to sift through the debris in hopes of locating survivors who may still be trapped beneath.
Local authorities report that at least one person, believed to be an 80-year-old man residing in an adjacent building, has died.
Javier Alonso, the Minister of Security for Buenos Aires Province, told TN news channel that the man’s partner had been successfully rescued.
However, there’s uncertainty about the whereabouts of the couple’s son, who may have been in the area at the time of the incident.
Among the missing are workers linked to a construction project underway at the Dubrovnik Hotel.
The municipal authorities disclosed that the work had been operating “clandestinely, without complying with municipal regulations.”
Although the hotel had been in operation since 1986 and was undergoing restorations, these modifications were stopped back in August after inspectors found they lacked the necessary permits to proceed.
The site remains a scene of urgent rescue efforts, as emergency crews attempt to free up to nine individuals who may still be trapped.
Authorities and first responders are working intensively to remove the rubble layer by layer.
Efforts continue to contact those responsible for the construction work to gather more information on the circumstances that led to the disaster.
