Oceanside Condo Partially Collapses in Miami; At Least 1 Dead

A 12-story oceanside condo in Miami-Dade County partially collapsed, authorities confirmed Thrusday that at least one person died in the scene while the massive search and rescue operations were still ongoing.

Still an Active Scene

Based on the social media post of the Miami-Dade Rescue Fire, more than 80 technical and rescue teams were on the scene in Surfside, a town located only a few miles north of Miami Beach. Firefighters picked up survivors through the rubble and carried them out safely from the wreckage.

According to USA Today, Charles Burkett, the town Mayor of Surfside has confirmed that at least one individual died.in the incident. Burkett stated that it was less likely than a lightning strike, he added that buildings do not fall down in America.

Moreover, Burkett mentioned that 10 individuals were medically treated at the scene. Two individuals were sent to the hospital, but the other one later died. Despite the ongoing search efforts in the collapsed section of the building, Burkett said that the way the building fell means those efforts may not be successful as it will hard to recover many people as the building has literally pancaked.

Also, Sgt. Marian Cruz of the Miami Dade Fire Rescue said that they were on the scene and it's still very active. She stated that the entire backside of the building has collapsed.

Authorities stated that they do not have yet the exact number of people present in the building during the collapse or how many were able to run away. The Miami Herald said that the building is part of Champlain Towers South which was built in 1981, containing more than 100 apartments.

Miami police blocked nearby roads, while dozens of fire and rescue vehicles, like ambulances, and police cars converged on the area waiting for possible survivors.

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Explosion in the Building

Meanwhile, Victor Cohen, who lives nearby, shared during an interview that the building had been undergoing a major renovation when the oceanfront wing collapsed like a pancake, WPLG-TV reported.

Another Surfside resident Michael Ruiz, who lives near the partially collapsed building mentioned that before just 2 in the morning he has heard about 50 ambulances, fire trucks, and fire rescues. Ruiz added that he immediately went to the scene and took videos and photos. Ruiz stated that starting from the ground to the third floor of the entire building, people cannot see it from the street, it's completely gone in the back, toward the beachside.

Santo Mejil, 50, mentioned during an interview that his wife, who was working overnight as a caretaker for an elderly woman in the complex called him from a unit on the ninth floor of the south building. Mejil, shared that her wife heard a big explosion and it felt like an earthquake, Miami Herald reported.

Photos and videos from the scene show that the collapse affected half the tower. Also a photo of firefighters pulling a boy from the rubble of the building circulated online. Firefighters were also seen using ladder trucks to rescue people from the high-rise.

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