The roof of a well-known shopping center in Peru collapsed on top of a food court, resulting in the verified deaths of at least three individuals.

According to police, three people were killed and 79 injured when the roof of the Real Plaza shopping mall in the northwest coastal city of Trujillo collapsed yesterday, February 21, at approximately 8.40 p.m. local time.

The Peruvian Government’s Department of Interior Ministry posted a video of the aftermath on Twitter, writing: “This is the exact moment police and firefighters work on the rescue of victims trapped under the debris.”

“More than 200 police officers and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations. Up to now three people have died.”

The horrifying events where a policeman can be heard yelling, “Daniela, can you hear me?” were described in one section.

The officer seems to hear the woman’s response before continuing, “Daniela, we’re going to help you, we’re going to get you out of there.”

Another web video shows a man repeatedly yelling “ayuda,” which is Spanish for “help,” while his voice is muffled by concrete and twisted metal

Firefighters who responded to the scene reported that two men and a woman were among the three fatalities; however, a regional health chief subsequently stated that one of the deceased was a youngster.

A ‘cloud of dust’ descended as the roof fell, witnesses said, following a’very loud explosion’.

In a video filmed by one of the witnesses, he said: “This is happening now. I’m going to leave the area now because this is serious.”

Real Plaza, which has a chain of shopping centers across 13 cities in Peru, said in a statement: “At Real Plaza, we deeply regret what happened at our shopping center in Trujillo and express our sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased.”

“Likewise, we express our absolute support to all their families and to the injured due to this unfortunate accident.”

“In close coordination with the authorities, we continue to work on rescue efforts and provide all necessary support to those affected and to the investigations that will determine the cause of the accident.”

“Additionally, as a sign of mourning and solidarity with the victims, we have decided to keep all our shopping centres closed nationwide today, Saturday, February 22.”

“We are committed to keeping families and the community informed, reaffirming our total willingness to assist those who need help at this difficult time.”

Metro said that an investigation is being conducted to find out what caused the collapse.