According to officials, an apartment building collapsed in northern Brazil on Friday, killing at least eight people and leaving five others missing as rescuers combed the debris in a desperate search for survivors.

An 8-year-old and a 5-year-old were reported as the victims, along with two other children.

However, as of Friday at 9:30 p.m. (0030 GMT), civil defence officials reported that four more people had been saved.

The residence is in the Janga area outside Recife, the state's capital, in Pernambuco state, in northeastern Brazil.

The four-story apartment complex was reduced to rubble while firefighters and rescue personnel scurried about the scene, according to drone footage obtained by Reuters.

Did you read this?

  1. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Hospitalized During G20 Summit
  2. Mystery Surrounds Fatal Shooting Of Indian Man In Parklands
  3. Probe: 11-Year-Old Boy Commits Suicide In Kakamega


The building collapsed early on Friday morning, around 6:35, when many residents were probably still asleep, according to officials.

What caused the collapse took time to be apparent. The 1.5 million-person coastal city of Recife has recently been dealing with much rain.

Earlier on Friday, the city and the surrounding metro area were declared to be in a "state of attention" to prompt emergency personnel to act quickly.

Raquel Lyra, the governor of Pernambuco, issued a warning earlier in the day that additional precipitation was anticipated and advised citizens to ensure they could reach safe structures.