More than 80 fire-and-rescue units have attended the scene of a partial building collapse in Miami, Miami-Dade fire rescue department has said in a tweet early Thursday. One person has reportedly been killed and at least 10 injured, according to the Washington Post.
An image posted on the Miami Beach police’s Twitter account on Thursday showed rubble with debris spilling from the remains of the building’s balconies in the darkness.
“We’re on the scene so it’s still very active,” Sgt Marian Cruz of the Surfside police department told the Associated Press. “What I can tell you is the building is 12 floors. The entire back side of the building has collapsed.” The reason for the collapse is unknown.
Police blocked nearby roads, and scores of fire and rescue vehicles, ambulances and police cars swarmed the area.
The collapse sent a up cloud of debris, coating cars up to two blocks away with a light layer of dust. Photos and video from the scene show the collapse affected half the tower. Piles of rubble and debris surrounded the area just outside the building.
The building’s address is 8777 Collins Avenue, according to Surfside police. The sea-view condo development was built in 1981 in the south-east corner of Surfside, on the beach. It had a few two-bedroom units on the market, with asking prices of $600,000 (£429,500) to $700,000, an internet search shows.
The area is a mix of new and old apartments, houses, condominiums and hotels, with restaurants and stores serving an international combination of residents and tourists.