Three people were killed and another was badly injured when a building that was being demolished collapsed prematurely in Mexico City on Monday.

The accident happened at about 2 p.m. just across from the San Antonio Abad Metro station near the corner of Calzada de San Antonio Abad and Lorenzo Boturino Street about 1.5 miles south of the Zócalo.

Media reports indicate there were 57 workers inside the structure when three of the building’s floor slabs reportedly gave way. Fifty-three men made it to safety, but the four victims were buried in the rubble.

Emergency services and Mexico City police officers arrived quickly and cordoned off the area, hastening to stabilize the fallen edifice before trying to locate the missing workers. 

Ángel Miranda, 45, was extricated from the rock pile within an hour, but rescue workers had trouble reaching the other three victims. While Miranda was rushed to Rubén Leñero Hospital, a canine rescue unit was brought to the building site.

Mayor Clara Brugada and Secretary of Comprehensive Risk Management Myriam Urzúa were also on scene to help coordinate the recovery efforts.

City officials stopped traffic on the Calzada as more equipment arrived to help with the search and remove debris. Images of the structure showed fractured and displaced concrete slabs and exposed rebar.

As the search continued through the evening, Civil Protection personnel worked to prevent objects from spilling onto surrounding roadways, and move onlookers to a safe distance. 

Defense Ministry personnel also joined the recovery efforts, but locating the remaining victims proved difficult. 

By 10 p.m., officials confirmed that one of the missing was found dead, adding that it was unlikely that the other two workers would be found alive.

Rescue efforts continued through the night and by 8 a.m. officials confirmed that the two remaining victims had been found, although the workers were still struggling to extricate the final body.

Urzúa said rescuers were working by hand to remove debris from a 300-square-meter area to recover the remains of the final victim. She said the efforts were complicated by the amount of glass that was still inside frames and windows and was at risk of shattering.

Mayor Brugada said her government would provide all the support necessary to help the families of those affected.

The collapsed building was roughly 60 years old, Urzúa said, and had been badly damaged during the September 2017 earthquake and abandoned immediately thereafter. 

The authorities have begun reviewing the documentation to verify that the demolition company has its permits in order and has complied with all applicable regulations.

With reports from Proceso, La Jornada, Infobae and N+