In Argentina, rescuers were rushing to reach people trapped under debris after a hotel collapsed, with one person confirmed dead.

Dubrovnik’s 10-story hotel, located in the coastal town of Villa Gesell, collapsed early Tuesday, with one resident describing the scene as resembling a “horror movie.”

Up to 15 people were reportedly inside the hotel, which had recently been undergoing renovations.

Rescue teams were on site to try to free people suspected of being trapped. The body of a man aged around 80 was found in the rubble, while a woman has so far been rescued.

Local authorities said construction work on the hotel was halted in August by order of the municipality because renovations were being carried out without the necessary permits.

However, neighbors told reporters that work continued in defiance of the suspension order.

Monica Mino, who lives next to the hotel, said the building “turned into a cloud of dust and we couldn’t see anything.”

“We heard like an earthquake… it was terrible. It’s like a horror movie we’re living through,” she told Reuters.

Argentina’s Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, posted on that two specialized teams had been sent to the site, in the province of Buenos Aires.

She said structural engineers, rescue specialists and a team of trained collapsed building dogs were present, as well as personnel equipped with specialist machinery and resources to assist in rescue efforts.

The province’s security minister, Javier Alonso, told local radio that four masons working on the construction site escaped the collapse and were arrested by police.

Alonso added that neighbors told him that repairs may have been underway in the hotel’s basement and that the building subsequently collapsed on itself.

Photographs from the scene show extensive damage to surrounding buildings from fallen debris.

Villa Gesell is a popular coastal destination with a number of hotels, resorts and beaches.

The Dubrovnik is located next to other hotels on Avenue 1 and about a five-minute walk from the waterfront.