Miami-Dade County Condo Building Collapsed: Death Toll Rises to 3, 99 Still Missing

A Miami-Dade County Condo Building has collapsed with at least three people reported dead, and as many as 99 still missing.

The collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium ensued a huge search and rescue operation, with crews still carefully looking through the rubble, hoping to find survivors, according to an ABC News Go report.

Crews have rescued 35 people who were trapped in the building, as of writing. In addition, they have also pulled out two others from beneath the rubble, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Riade Jadallah.

Officials said that 102 people have been accounted for, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Cava said that there were quite a few people in the building at the time of the collapse, according to an NBC News report.

Jadallah said that it is a slow and methodical process as they get debris falling out every time they start to breach parts of the structure.

Missing Residents of The Condo Building

As of writing, 99 people remained unaccounted for as search and rescue efforts continue.

Paraguay's foreign minister, Euclides Acevedo, said that members of President Mario Abdo Benitez's family were among the residents missing in the collapse.

The family members were identified as Sophia Lopez Moreira and her husband, Luis Pettengill. They were first lady Silvana Lopez Moreira's sister and brother-in-law.

The Moreira couple's three children were also missing, as well as Lady Luna Villalba, who is a worker with the family.

The condominium is a mix of full-time residents, seasonal residents, renters, and short-term visitors. Officials said that they have been relying on neighbors' word of mouth.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said that at least 10 people were treated for injuries at the scene, while three patients were brought to Aventura Hospital and Medical Center. Two patients were also listed in critical condition.

Burkett said that the building had roof work going on but he thinks this is a catastrophic failure of that building.

Officials had not yet stated what caused the building to collapse.

Rescue Efforts and Response

A Miami-Dade County official said that it has been difficult determining how many people were in that section of the complex partly due to there isn't on-scene management that keeps track of the residents.

Rescue crews were searching under the debris and using sonar devices to detect any signs of life, according to an NBC Miami report.

They said that they did receive some sounds as they searched the area. However, not of human voices but the sounds of banging.

Officials said that a small fire appeared to break out in one part of the building during the search and rescue efforts. They added that it was extinguished in about 20 minutes.

Jadallah said that the condominium had around 55 of the 136 units collapsed on the northeast corridor.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had visited the site on Thursday afternoon. He said that the TV does not do it justice.

DeSantis noted that the Red Cross was setting up displaced residents in hotels. He added that finding the cause of the collapse would take time.

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