Part of the Dubrovnik hotel collapsed in Villa Gesell, in Buenos Aires province, early this morning. Officials said between seven and nine people could be trapped in the rubble
A 10-storey hotel building has collapsed in Argentina, with people feared trapped under the rubble.
Emergency crews, including firefighters and police, rushed to the seaside resort city of Villa Gesell, in Buenos Aires province, after part of the Dubrovnik hotel collapsed at about 1am local time this morning. Officials estimate that between seven and nine people, including workers from a construction site, are trapped in the collapsed building.
According to local reports, the building was undergoing construction work without municipal approval. The council said the project had been halted by the council in August, adding in their statement: “At this time, although it is not possible to speak with any exact details about the collapse, it can be confirmed that the structure in the collapsed part [the rear part] would have been modified illegally and irregularly.”
A statement released by Villa Gesell municipality said: “The municipality of Villa Gesell requests that residents and the media be cautious with any information they may circulate. These are key moments in which work is being done to prevent the loss of human lives.”
Villa Gesell, on the Atlantic coast, has a population of over 31,700 people and is located around 370 km (230 miles) south of the city of Buenos Aires. The city is known for its 10km-long beach, Querandi Lighthouse Reserve, a nature reserve, as well as its cultural heritage and nightlife.
Earlier this year, a report on security carried out by Verisure’s Alarm Central found that Villa Gesell, which is a popular tourist hotspot alongside Mar de Plata, was one of the five most unsafe and most violent places in Argentina. According to the Buenos Aires Times, the report found that these areas had more crime activity “being especially vulnerable in properties considered second homes which are empty most of the year.”
