Many feared dead, over 100 missing as 12-storey building collapses in Florida

Reportedly, the beachfront condo building partially collapsed on Thursday outside Miami, killing at least one person and trapping several others in the tower. Authorities did not know how many people were in the tower when it fell.

Rescue teams reached the spot after getting information to carry out rescue operations.

An official stated that ten people were treated at the scene and two were brought to the hospital, one of whom died.

“15 families walked out of the building on their own,” he added.

Rescuers have pulled 35 people from the building and were continuing to look for more and kept up a search operation for more.

Video footage posted online showed a large portion of the building which is reduced to rubble, with the apartments’ interiors exposed.

JUST IN: 7News has obtained surveillance video of the moment the Champlain Towers South Condo collapsed in Surfside early this morning.

According to a fire official, 35 people were pulled from the collapsed building. Search and rescue efforts ongoing. https://t.co/Ac7KgnJOSO pic.twitter.com/oeczbumRG9

— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) June 24, 2021

MBPD and @MiamiBeachFire are assisting the Town of Surfside at a partial building collapse located at 8777 Collins Avenue in Surfside, Florida. Multiple police and fire agencies from across Miami-Dade are assisting. Please follow @MiamiDadeFire for updated information. pic.twitter.com/8tORIfZfjY

— Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) June 24, 2021

Following the incident, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett hold a press conference, warning that the building manager told him the tower was quite full and the death toll was likely to rise.

“The building is literally pancaked,” Burkett said.

He further added, “That is heart-breaking because it doesn’t mean to me that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive.”

Television footage showed bunk beds, tables and chairs still left inside the damaged apartments. Air conditioner units were hanging from some parts of the building, where wires now dangled.

The area has a mix of new and old apartment buildings, houses and hotels, with restaurants and stores serving an international combination of residents and tourists.