Video appears to show the moment that a 12-story condo building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed (watch above). The footage was obtained by a local Fox Sports radio anchor.
At least one person has died. Another has been transported to the hospital. Rescue workers pulled 35 people – and counting – from the wreckage, but at least 99 residents are unaccounted for, according to multiple reports. Fifty-five units are believed to have been destroyed. Neighboring buildings have been evacuated and dogs are on the scene to help find survivors.
More than 100 first responders on scene at a partially collapsed condo in Surfside, FL, are trying to cut through the debris, but it has been unstable and at times fallen on top of them. Rescuers are also using sonar to search for sounds from survivors. pic.twitter.com/3vjiIFdddP
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) June 25, 2021
More from The Associated Press:
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett warned that the death toll was likely to rise, saying the building manager told him the tower was quite full at the time of the collapse around 1:30 a.m., but the exact number of people present was unclear.
“The building is literally pancaked,” Burkett said. “That is heartbreaking because it doesn’t mean, to me, that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive.”
Work was being done on the building’s roof, but it is unclear what caused the collapse.
President Joe Biden called Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and offered federal assistance. Nearby hotels have offered space to impacted residents. Levine Cava said the building houses a large Jewish population. The Miami Herald reports, “Late Thursday Seventeen hours after the deadly partial collapse of the Champlain Towers condominium in Surfside, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Miami-Dade County Thursday, enabling federal rescue, housing and financial assistance.”
Just got off the phone with @POTUS. He offered the full support of the federal gov. to help our community during this difficult time. We continue to work with local, state, & federal agencies as we respond to this tragedy and do everything we can to support the impacted families. pic.twitter.com/BQ4od1Fhdx
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) June 24, 2021
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue team, a group that specializes in international search and rescue, is involved in the response. It is their “first hometown situation.”
Devastating video shows the aftermath of a partial building collapse in Surfside, Florida, near Miami Beach. https://t.co/VgAwXphIqZ @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/8OO4lZF0ra
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 24, 2021