The owner of the collapsed hotel in the Argentine city of Villa Gesell, María Rosa Stefanic, 52 years old, was found dead among the rubble, according to official sources. She is the second confirmed fatality found so far in the collapse of the ten-story Dubrovnik Aparthotel, which occurred early Tuesday morning.
"I can confirm that it is Rosa, we know this from the family's confirmation through a tattoo she had on her right arm," said the Minister of Security of the province of Buenos Aires, Javier Alonso, at the scene. The first identified victim was 84-year-old retiree Federico Ciocchini; his partner, Josefa Bonazza, is in critical condition.
Although it has not been precisely determined how many people are missing, it is estimated that there could be around seven. After 56 hours of hard work, rescue teams managed to retrieve the body of the hotel owner by digging a tunnel, but there was a risk of collapse in the structure while removing the debris.
About 300 rescuers, including firefighters, police, and K9 dogs, continue search efforts, using drones and cranes to remove the concrete. Part of the operation is being carried out manually to avoid further damage to potential trapped individuals. The removal of concrete has been 150 square meters over three days, and there are plans to resume the tunnel strategy to rescue other possible trapped individuals.
The investigation into the causes of the collapse is progressing meticulously, involving different parties that participated in the construction, according to Minister Alonso. Prosecutor Verónica Zamboni interrogated four detained construction workers who were carrying out unauthorized work at the back of the aparthotel, according to the municipality, which involved clandestine construction without the necessary permits.
