A ten-storey hotel building has collapsed in Argentina, with people feared to be trapped inside.
The building collapsed early on Tuesday in the coastal city of Villa Gesell in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province, the local council said in a statement.
Drone footage of the collapse show a central section of the building has been reduced to rubble.
Between seven and nine people were believed to have been inside at the time, the statement said.
The council said construction workers that were allegedly operating without permits at the Dubrovnik hotel are thought to be among those trapped.
Rescue teams are currently removing the debris to free those trapped, the Villa Gesell authorities noted, adding the municipality had halted construction work at the site in August of this year.
"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," the local council added.
A statement released by Villa Gesell municipality said emergency services, including firefighters and police, are working on the scene.
"The municipality of Villa Gesell requests that residents and the media be cautious with any information they may circulate," the statement added.
"These are key moments in which work is being done to prevent the loss of human lives."
