Officials confirmed at least one person is dead, after a building partially collapsed in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, early Thursday morning.
Officials also believe there may be multiple fatalities. CBS News said at least nine people had been hospitalized, and Surfside mayor Charles Burkett said 10 people were treated on-site. The 12-story building called Champlain Towers is located at 8777 Collins Avenue next to 88 Street, in the heart one of Miami’s most Jewish neighborhoods. “It’s hard to imagine how this can happen,” the mayor said. “Buildings don’t just fall down.”
80 rescue units were on the scene, according to the Miami-Dade County Police Department. Authorities are calling it a “partial building collapse.””They are able to rescue some people… but I heard some screams,” a resident of the building told NBC Miami’s Sam Brock. “I lost a lot of friends, part of the building is pancaked.”Witnesses told Local 10 news that people were stuck inside the southern tower of the building. Rescue crews are currently working to remove people from the wreckage. One dramatic video published by WSVN 7 News from Miami shows firefighters pulling a minor out of the rubble.
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) June 24, 2021
An image posted on Miami Beach Police’s Twitter account showed a tangle of rubble with debris spilling down from what was left of the balconies of the building in the darkness. The reason for the collapse is unknown.
— Izzy (@YWNReporter) June 24, 2021
2,500 Orthodox Jews lived in Surfside in 2018, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. It’s across the street from Harding Avenue, which is home to a plethora of kosher restaurants and grocery stores.
The Jewish community grew rapidly in the 1980s after years of anti-Semitism in the area. At the center of the community, and down the block from the collapse, is The Shul. It was founded by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries and developed into a main community center.
The collapse also occurred within walking distance to popular area hotels such as the Four Seasons, the Grand Beach and the St. Regis.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.
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