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Tenerife building collapse: At least two feared dead and many more injured on tourist island

Video shows the aftermath of the buildilng collapse as residents walk through the rubble and dust

Samuel Osborne
Friday 15 April 2016 05:22 EDT
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Building collapse in Spain

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At least two people are feared dead and several others have been injured after a four-storey apartment building collapsed in Tenerife.

Local media report three people were in the building, in the Los Cristianos area of the town of Arona.

Reports suggest up to 15 people are believed to be trapped under the rubble, after the building collapsed around 9.30am local time.

Residents reported a large explosion before the building collapsed.

El Espanol newspaper reported a 57-year-old woman had been taken to hospital with severe injuries while a man with less severe injuries had also been taken to hospital.

Police, firefighters, paramedics and Red Cross workers have arrived at the scene as part of a major rescue operation.

The cause of the collapse has not yet been confirmed, though local residents report hearing an explosion before the building collapsed. Police have sealed off the area and evacuated a nearby building as a precaution in case there had been a gas leak.

Video of the aftermath shows residents walking through rubble and dust.

A National Police spokesman said it is not immediately known how many people were in the 21-apartment building at the time of the collapse.

He said firefighters were working to clear the rubble at the building.

The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with police regulations, said three people suffered light injuries.

Additional reporting by AP

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