One dead and others trapped beneath rubble of collapsed hotel in Argentina
By Joaquin Caballero, CNN en Español
(CNN) — A man has died and up to nine other people are missing after a 10-story hotel collapsed in Argentina.
The 10-story Dubrovnik hotel in the city of Villa Gessell, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) from the capital Buenos Aires on the Atlantic coast, collapsed early on Tuesday morning, according to a statement from the municipal authorities.
The victim is thought to have been an 80-year-old man who lived in the building next to the collapsed hotel, minister of security of the province of Buenos Aires Javier Alonso said on the TN news channel.
His partner was rescued but authorities are not sure whether the couple’s son was at the site, Alonso added.
Firefighters, paramedics and police were working to remove debris in order to reach people who are thought to be buried.
The missing include workers from a construction site at the hotel that was apparently operating “clandestinely, without complying with municipal regulations,” according to the statement.
Buildings around the hotel were significantly impacted by the incident, according to video obtained by CNN of the scene. Fallen debris appears to have ripped through walls of nearby properties and caused extensive damage.
Huge piles of rubble, mangled metal, and other debris could also be seen in the footage. As the camera pans around, an entire floor of the hotel hangs at an angle having collapsed into the level below.
CNN is trying to contact those responsible for the building to obtain more information.
The hotel, which opened in 1986, was undergoing a range of restorations and modifications.
The statement from the municipality said work at the site had already been “detected and halted” back in August after not having the proper permissions to proceed.
Argentina’s Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said in a post on X that specialist teams from the Federal Police, including structural engineers and a canine unit, were being mobilized to respond to the hotel collapse.
“The first team includes structural engineers, rescue specialists (USAR), operations and incident command system personnel, HAZMAT and a canine team trained in collapsed structures,” she wrote, adding that the second team would be providing “logistical and operational support.”
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Michael Rios and Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed to this report.
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