Madrid building collapse kills one

MADRID, Spain -- One person died and at least 10 others were injured when a building under renovation collapsed in the centre of Madrid.

Firefighters used sniffer dogs to go through the rubble in search of others feared trapped in the five-storey building in the busy Arguelles area of the city.

Police and emergency workers said it was too early to say what the cause of the accident was, but part of a shop on the ground floor was under renovation when two sides of the building collapsed.

The injured, including two who were seriously hurt, were pedestrians walking past the building when it crumbled at 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Wednesday.

An emergency services spokesman said: "One middle-aged person has been found dead in the debris.

"We can confirm 10 injured with broken bones of varying severity who have been taken to hospital."

Paramedics set up a makeshift field hospital near the rubble.

Two of the building's facades crumbled, splitting some apartments in two and leaving kitchen shelving, radiators and floor beams jutting into the air.

Madrid Mayor Jose Maria Alvarez del Manzano, said: "The dogs keep sniffing at two other spots."

The building, which included residential apartments and offices, is located on a corner across the street from a major department store in the bustling commercial neighbourhood.

A ground-floor linen shop had recently been undergoing building work.

A firefighter spokesman said the building's foundation may have been weakened by heavy rains that have hit Madrid and a large part of Spain in recent days.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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