Photos: Florida beachfront condo collapses
CBSN
Search-and-rescue personnel work after the partial collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida, on Thursday, June 24, 2021.
At least one person was confirmed dead and dozens remained unaccounted for. Rescuers pulled out some survivors and continued to look for more in the rubble. Rubble is piled high after the collapse of a large section of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building. Mayor Burkett said two people were taken to a hospital and one of them died. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said 10 people were treated at the scene of the collapse. One man told CBS Miami that he "was walking with my brothers, we were walking our dog in the neighborhood, and basically we heard a really big rumble and we thought it was a motorcycle, you know, and we turned around and saw a cloud of dust just coming our way." Mich Balkany, a resident, called the partial collapse "absolutely insane." The collapse, which appeared to affect one leg of the L-shaped tower, tore away walls and left a number of homes in the still-standing part of the building exposed in what looked like a giant dollhouse. Unlike some residential buildings in South Florida primarily used as vacation homes, Mayor Burkett said the building was mostly used by full-time residents — mainly families. Luz Marina holds a picture of her aunt, Marina Azen, who she said is missing. Bunkbeds remain standing at the exposed edge of a room inside the partially collapsed 12-story beachfront condo building in Surfside, Florida. Jennifer Carr, right, sits with her daughter as they wait for news at a family reunification center. Cousins Andrea and Nellie Gonzalez wait for news at a family reunification center. They are vacationing from Wisconsin and had to be evacuated from a nearby building. A man who was evacuated from a nearby hotel said: "The building — one of these huge buildings - gone! ... The building — it's gone. ... The whole building's gone. ... Oh my gosh. This is the most insane thing I've ever seen in my life." "The building is literally pancaked," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said. "That is heartbreaking because it doesn't mean, to me, that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive." Teams of 10 to 12 rescuers were entering the area with dogs and other equipment, working until they tire from the heavy lifting, then making way for a new team, according to Florida's chief financial officer and fire marshal Jimmy Patronis. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said it had more than 80 units at the site along with units from municipal fire departments. Miami Beach Police tweeted that "multiple police and fire agencies from across Miami-Dade" were assisting. What caused the deadly collapse is still unclear. "I've been living in Surfside the past 10 years, and this is by far the most horrific thing that I've seen in my life," he told ReliableNewsMedia. Florida Power & Light says it cut electricity to about 400 customers in the area as a precaution. A family reunification center was set up nearby for anyone looking for relatives.More Related News
Sean "Diddy" Combs on Sunday apologized in a social media post after security video aired by CNN that appears to show him attacking singer Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. In an Instagram video, he said his behavior was "inexcusable" and he takes "full responsibility" for his actions.