A 10-story hotel undergoing unauthorized renovations collapsed early Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in Villa Gesell, Argentina. A man reported to be 80 years old was killed and nine people were trapped in the debris as more than 300 rescue workers search for survivors.
The Dubrovnik Hotel, located 217 miles south of Buenos Aires, crumbled at around 1 a.m., with its last three floors tilting and crushing 25 percent of an adjacent building. The collapse created widespread damage to surrounding structures from fallen debris.
Javier Alonso, the security minister for Buenos Aires province, informed journalists that an 80-year-old man was killed in the collapse. He also mentioned that seven to nine individuals, likely masons involved in the hotel’s restoration, are still trapped.
Firefighters successfully rescued a 79-year-old woman from the neighboring building. She was found alive but injured in the rubble.
Villa Gesell’s municipality reported that the hotel was undergoing renovation work without the required permits, prompting authorities to halt construction in August. However, despite the order to stop, the renovation continued secretly and violated municipal regulations. As a result, the foreman and three bricklayers were detained for questioning by local officials.
Rescue teams are utilizing drones, sniffer dogs, and probes equipped with cameras and microphones to search for survivors. Workers began clearing debris by hand while awaiting the arrival of cranes and structural engineers to assess the area.
A prosecutor has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse. Relatives of the missing have gathered at the site as rescue efforts continue.
