(MIAMI) — At least one person is dead and three others injured after a multi-story building partially collapsed in southern Florida’s Miami-Dade County early Thursday morning, authorities said.
The building, which appears to be residential, is located in the small, beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach. A massive search and rescue operation was underway before dawn, as crews carefully checked the wreckage and remaining structure for survivors. Footage from the scene showed firefighters pulling a boy from the rubble alive and rescuing other people from balconies.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which confirmed the death of at least one person, said it has sent more than 80 units to the scene. Multiple police and fire departments from across Miami-Dade County have been deployed to assist, according to the Miami Beach Police Department.
Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, about 8 miles northwest of Surfside, has received three patients from the scene so far. Two have critical injuries while the third is in fair condition, a hospital spokesperson told ABC News.
Witnesses told Miami ABC affiliate WPLG-TV that more people are still trapped inside the building.
People in neighboring buildings have been evacuated to a nearby recreational center, one witness told ABC News.
Another witness told ABC News that his wife cares for an elderly woman who lives in the building and frantically called him around 1:15 a.m. local time, after the units next door came crashing down. He said his wife and the elderly woman were both rescued.
Further details on the incident were not immediately available. It was unknown what caused the collapse and if there were any additional casualties.
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