A 10-storey hotel under renovation in Argentina collapsed, killing one person and trapping at least seven people under the rubble, authorities said.

Firefighters searching for survivors rescued a woman who survived from the rubble of the Dubrovnik Hotel in Villa Gesell, a coastal city 357 miles south of the capital Buenos Aires.

The prosecutor launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse, but the municipality of Villa Gesell said in a press release that the hotel was being renovated without the necessary permits.

He added that seven to nine people, estimated to be masons working on the restoration of the hotel, were trapped.

Rescue team members began removing debris by hand while waiting for a crane and some engineers to assess the area.