Number of dead in collapsed Tenerife building rises to 6

The number of fatalities caused by the collapse of a five-story apartment block on the island of Tenerife on Thursday has risen to six, local authority confirmed on Saturday.

Two deaths had been confirmed on Friday, but the efforts of rescue teams which contained members of Spain's Military Emergency Unit working overnight revealed four more bodies under the rubble.

The six victims are confirmed as being three men and three women, although none have so far been officially identified.

Meanwhile one further person remains unaccounted for and search efforts continue.

The accident happened at around 9:30 local time on Thursday and the causes remain unknown, although one theory is that building work on a former bank office on the ground floor weakened a supporting wall, after neighbors had complained of cracks appearing in the days before the collapse.

Survivors of the accident and residents of the neighboring buildings, which have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, have been temporarily rehoused by the local authority, while psychological help is being offered to those who may need it.

Source: XINHUA