At Least 1 Dead, 99 Unaccounted For; 55 Units Involved In Catastrophe
MIAMI (CBS Miami) - At least one person was killed and numerous others injured after the partial collapse of a Surfside high-rise condo apartment building.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said multiple police and fire rescue agencies are assisting at the Champlain Towers South, located at 8777 Collins Avenue.
More than 80 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units and technical rescue teams responded to the scene of the condo collapse.
The 12-story condo building has 136 units, and officials say 55 units on the northeast side were involved in the collapse.
Firefighters used truck-mounted ladders to reach people trapped on balconies. They also did a floor-by-floor search to evacuate the building. At one point they were pulled out because of concerns over the building's structural integrity and falling debris.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported that 37 people have been rescued. Of those rescued, 35 were pulled from the still standing building and two from the rubble, including a 12-year-old boy.
The Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed Thursday afternoon that 99 people are still unaccounted for. Some of the units are owned by vacationers and may not have been in the building at the time.
READ MORE: Condo Collapse: Champlain Towers In Surfside Was Due For 40-Year Inspection
According to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, 102 people are accounted for at this time.
A man who lives in a building next door said he felt it.
"The building shook and then I looked out the window and you couldn't see, I thought it was like a storm or something coming in. When the dust cleared, the back two-thirds of the building was gone, it was down to the ground," he said.
Southbound traffic is being diverted west on 96th Street and northbound traffic is being diverted at 85th Street and Collins Avenue.
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WATCH WFOR-TV's Austin Carter On The Scene Of The Collapse
A family reunification center has been set up for anyone looking for unaccounted or missing relatives at 9301 Collins Avenue. People can also call (305) 614-1819.