A four-storey building has collapsed in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil killing at least one infant, the city’s fire department said.

Four people were rescued and firefighters were searching for at least one more.

The construction in Rio das Pedras, a working-class neighbourhood, collapsed at around 3.20am and also damaged nearby residences.

The building consisted of four small homes built on top of one another, according to a spokesperson for the fire department.

In 2019, two condemned buildings that had been built without permits in an area run by illegal militia groups collapsed in Rio, killing two dozen people.

Militias, which are made up of former firefighters, police and soldiers, often take control of public land and build illegal housing to rent informally. Many people choose to live in such residences because they are cheaper.