3 people killed, 99 missing in Miami condo collapse

• A 12-storey condominium building collapses in the town of Surfside north of Miami.
• Out of 130 units, about half were reportedly affected by the collapse.
• Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said that 35 people were rescued from the building.

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Florida officials report that at least three people have been killed and 99 others are unaccounted for after the overnight collapse of a 12-storey condominium building in the town of Surfside north of Miami.

The Champlain Towers South was a seaside condo development built in 1981 in the southeast corner of Surfside. It had a few two-bedroom units currently on the market, with asking prices of $600,000 to $700,000 in an area with a neighborhood feel that provides a stark contrast to the glitz and bustle of nearby South Beach.

According to the Miami Herald, it has two sister buildings, Champlain Towers North and Champlain Tower East

Out of 130 units, about half were reportedly affected by the collapse.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett confirmed that at least one person was killed and 10 were injured. Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said that 35 people were rescued from the building.

The tower has a mix of seasonal and year-round residents, and while the building keeps a log of guests, it does not keep track of when owners are in residence,

Authorities did not say what may have caused the collapse. On video footage captured from nearby, the center of the building appeared to fall first, with a section nearest the ocean teetering and coming down seconds later as a huge dust cloud swallowed the neighborhood.

Work was being done on the building’s roof, but Burkett said he did not see how that could have been the cause.

At an evacuation site set up in a nearby community center, people who live in buildings neighboring the collapse gathered after being told to flee. Some wept. Some were still dressed in pajamas. Some children tried to sleep on mats spread on the floor.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would travel to South Florida later on Thursday. “We are bracing for some bad news just given the destruction that we’re seeing,” he warned, saying he thought the quick response from the emergency services had saved lives.