Emergency crews are currently at the scene of a partial building collapse in the US city of Miami, scouring the debris for survivors.
“Over 80 MDFR units including #TRT (Technical Rescue Teams) are on scene with assistance from municipal fire departments,” Miami Dade Fire Rescue said in a tweet.
Local media outlets are reporting at least one person has been confirmed dead and at least eight are being treated for serious injuries.
The collapse sent a cloud of debris through the neighborhood, coating cars up to two blocks away with a light layer of dust.
Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities have not revealed how many people live in the building, but some witnesses in the exclusion zone say they fear friends or loved ones are still inside.
Kimberly Morales told CNN she lives in the building across the street from the collapse and was awakened by building alarms going off and pounding on her door.
“I woke everyone up in the room because when I looked out the window, I saw everyone outside,” she told CNN.
“I told everyone to hurry up and leave the building.”
Police blocked nearby roads, and scores of fire and rescue vehicles, ambulances and police cars swarmed the area.
“We’re on the scene so it’s still very active,” said Sgt Marian Cruz of Surfside Police Department.
“What I can tell you is the building is twelve floors. The entire back side of the building has collapsed.”
Photos and video from the scene show that the collapse affected half the tower. Piles of rubble and debris surrounded the area just outside the building.
The department has yet to say what may have caused the collapse near 88th Street and Collins Avenue.
“I have never seen so many ambulances and police in my life all at once,” a man who lives nearby told CNN.
“It looked like something from 9/11, literally.
“The entire building collapsed from the 14th floor.
“So there’s a third of the entire building, that you cannot see from the street, but it’s completely gone.
“It almost looks like 9/11 or if a bomb hit or something.
“It just completely wiped it out. There’s a pile of rubble.”
According to the Miami Herald, the 12-storey condo tower, part of Champlain Towers, is an oceanside condo built in 1981 with more than 100 units.
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.
The community provides a stark contrast from bustle and glitz of South Beach with a slower paced neighbourhood feel.
