Officials say a 12-story residential building north of Miami, Florida, collapsed overnight, killing at least one person and leaving 51 people missing.
Rescuers were searching the rubble for survivors, and one youngster was seen alive being pulled out.
The exact number of people inside the building at the time is unknown.
Surfside’s complex was completed in 1980. The collapse affected approximately half of the 130 apartments.
According to County Commissioner José Daz, 51 people reported to have lived in the building have yet to be contacted.
According to officials, 35 people were rescued from the wreckage. Ten people were examined and treated, with two of them being admitted to the hospital.
“The back of the building is completely pancaked, possibly a third or more,” said Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett at a press conference.
Governor Ron DeSantis said the fire department was still in “search and rescue mode” when he visited the scene on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s not as good as it appears on television. The collapse of such a massive structure is incredibly traumatic, he told himself and himself.
In Surfside, a community center has been transformed into a family reunification center as well as a resource for worried relatives.
