Argentina building collapse leaves at least one dead

Passersby stare at the rubble minutes after the collapse of the old Parravicini movie theater building, in Tucuman, Argentina on May 23, 2018. / AFP / Walter Monteros

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — At least one man was killed Wednesday when an old theater that was under renovations collapsed in the downtown area of the Argentine city of Tucuman, police said.

“We are in the middle of rescue work removing the rubble. We are working with firefighters the police and city officials. There is one man who has died, over 18, who has not yet been identified,” a police officer in the northern Argentine city told local media.

The site of the incident, the exact cause of which remains unknown, was not far from the provincial legislature.

Local media reported that a loud blast was heard and smoke could be seen rising above the former theater.

It first opened in 1923 as a candy store, then became a theater and finally an adult cinema before it closed for good in 1995.