Pernambuco’s government said a survivor had already been found but preliminary information pointed to more people still under the rubble of the building in the Janga neighbourhood.

A precise figure has not been provided but CNN Brasil reported, citing Pernambuco’s civil defence authorities, that 10 people were estimated to be in the wreckage.

“Civil defence was called at 6.35am to respond to the collapse of the building in Janga,” the Pernambuco government said in a statement on social media.

“Eight of our teams have now been mobilised to the site.”

The state’s civil defence did not immediately respond to a request for further details.

Recife, a coastal city of some 1.5 million people, has been grappling with heavy rains in recent days.

The city and its metropolitan region were put under a “state of attention” today, which represents “moderate to high risk”, according to the government.