Woman Dies In Tenerife Building Collapse
Locals say they heard an explosion followed by the smell of gas and as many as nine people may have been trapped, reports say.
A woman has died after an apartment building partially collapsed in Los Cristianos, Tenerife.There are reports the victim was aged 70 and her body was pulled from the rubble by emergency services.It is believed up to nine people could be trapped after the four-storey block - a former bank - came down around 9.30am local time on Thursday.
But it is not known if they were in the 21-apartment building when the incident happened in the popular tourist town.
At least three people are confirmed to have been hurt.A 57-year-old woman suffered serious trauma to her upper body and a 28-year-old Italian man had a shoulder injury.Also, a 55-year-old woman suffered an anxiety attack and was treated at the scene, said the Canary Islands government. It was unclear if any Britons were involved.A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are in contact with local authorities and urgently seeking more information following a building collapse in Tenerife."Police said it was not known why the structure - located in the central area of the southern coastal town - had come down. Locals nearby reported hearing an explosion followed by the smell of gas before the building came down, said Tenerife News.Police evacuated nearby properties in case there had been a gas leak. The island's Military Emergency Unit was deployed, while the Spanish Red Cross said it had sent volunteers to help with the search.Firefighters were working to clear the rubble and search for anyone who may still be in the debris.One eyewitness told the Diario de Avisos newspaper there was a loud bang, and then half the building collapsed. Video footage showed debris strewn across the road. Building work was apparently being carried out in the building but the renovations reportedly stopped two weeks ago after serious cracks were discovered.The local council has set up a refuge centre, while several hotels have offered rooms to those affected. Tenerife is popular with British holidaymakers, with nearly 1.7 million Britons visiting in 2014, according to official figures.
But it is not known if they were in the 21-apartment building when the incident happened in the popular tourist town.
At least three people are confirmed to have been hurt.A 57-year-old woman suffered serious trauma to her upper body and a 28-year-old Italian man had a shoulder injury.Also, a 55-year-old woman suffered an anxiety attack and was treated at the scene, said the Canary Islands government. It was unclear if any Britons were involved.A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are in contact with local authorities and urgently seeking more information following a building collapse in Tenerife."Police said it was not known why the structure - located in the central area of the southern coastal town - had come down. Locals nearby reported hearing an explosion followed by the smell of gas before the building came down, said Tenerife News.Police evacuated nearby properties in case there had been a gas leak. The island's Military Emergency Unit was deployed, while the Spanish Red Cross said it had sent volunteers to help with the search.Firefighters were working to clear the rubble and search for anyone who may still be in the debris.One eyewitness told the Diario de Avisos newspaper there was a loud bang, and then half the building collapsed. Video footage showed debris strewn across the road. Building work was apparently being carried out in the building but the renovations reportedly stopped two weeks ago after serious cracks were discovered.The local council has set up a refuge centre, while several hotels have offered rooms to those affected. Tenerife is popular with British holidaymakers, with nearly 1.7 million Britons visiting in 2014, according to official figures.
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