Miami Building Collapses Unexpectedly, Sparking Major Rescue Operation

A rescue operation was underway in Surfside, Florida, on Thursday morning following the partial collapse of a building near Miami Beach. At least one person has died and others remained trapped in the rubble, according to the Miami-Dade Police.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said at least 10 people have been injured in the incident. It is not yet known how many people were in the building at the time.

Miami Dade Fire and Rescue (MDFR) attended the scene at 88th St. and Collins, with more than 80 units in attendance. The building in question is Champlain Towers South, a 12-story with more than 100 residential units, according to NBC News. It was constructed in 1981.

Reports of the building's partial collapse were shared on social media in the early hours.

JC Groves, a student-pastor at Connection Church, shared a video on Twitter showing the building's collapse.

Groves told Newsweek via Twitter that his brother had sent him the video. He said his brother and family had been evacuated from their hotel and were standing in the street.

"#MDFR is on scene of a partial building collapse near 88 Street & Collins Avenue. Over 80 MDFR units including #TRT are on scene with assistance from municipal fire departments. Updates will be provided on Twitter as they become available," MDFR said on its official Twitter account.

TRT indicates that Technical Rescue Teams were on the ground. Miami Beach Police were also on scene.

"MBPD and @MiamiBeachFire are assisting the Town of Surfside at a partial building collapse located at 8777 Collins Avenue in Surfside, Florida," Miami Beach Police tweeted. "Multiple police and fire agencies from across Miami-Dade are assisting."

Local reporters were also on the scene early on Thursday morning. Brooke Shafer of CBS Miami tweeted footage of the emergency response showing fire trucks and other vehicles. As news of the collapse broke, Shafer tweeted, in part: "We're hearing there were people inside. We don't know yet how many are hurt and if anyone is trapped."

"We just got to scene of a partial building collapse in Surfside," Shafer said when she arrived. "This is as close as we can get, can't see the building from here. Still waiting to hear how many hurt and if anyone trapped inside."

The latest building collapse comes after similar, unconnected incidents in Florida.

On January 4, a building collapse in Chipley, Florida left one person dead and two others injured. Three construction workers became trapped in rubble following the collapse at the intersection of Highway 77 and Highway 90, according to WKRG. The incident occurred as the roof of the building was being demolished.

In 2018, a 46-year-old man, Samuel Landis, died following the collapse of a 13-story building in Miami Beach. Landis was working there as part of a planned demolition of the building.

Newsweek has asked MDFR and the town of Surfside for comment.

For the latest updates, see Newsweek's live blog.

Update 6/24/21, 9L50 a.m. ET: The headline was modified to indicate the location of the building was in Surfside, Florida.