At least one person has died after a partial building collapsed in Surfside.
The collapse happened at the Champlain Towers South Condo near 88th Street and Collins Avenue, overnight Thursday.
More than 80 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene. Rescue crews from other cities have also responded to the scene to assist.
Authorities have brought both live-victim dogs as well as cadaver dogs to the scene.
“About two o’clock in the morning, I was called by the chief of police who said there was a collapse. Couldn’t imagine that we were going to see what we saw. Looks like a bomb went off,” said Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said.
Burkett said he was told by the fire chief that 10 people were treated on site, and of those 10, two were transported to the hospital.
One of the two victims transported succumbed to their injuries.
When asked if he believes there are people buried underneath the rubble, Burkett responded, “I do. I do. Surfside has set an area for the residents of that building in our community center. We have 15 family units, I believe, that we’re making arrangements with the Red Cross, and they’re going to be getting them into hotel rooms. We also have a building next door which is a hotel with about 50 something units, and those people will have to be displaced too because it’s not safe for them to go back into the hotel next to this building, because we’re not sure whether this building is going to continue to come down.”
Burkett said people can “call the town of Surfside, and we’ll make sure that we get them whatever information we can. We’ve got parks and rec director who is basically heading up that effort and his name is Tim, and he’s reachable also, but mostly, I believe we had 10 people treated at the site early this morning. The rest of the people have gone down to the community center and are waiting for housing. We’re gonna get them temporary housing and everybody else, we just don’t have a good answer for.”
Chesed Shel Emes along with Police Chaplain Rabbi Mark Rosenberg are also on the scene working with authorities trying to track down missing victims.
An emergency fund has been set up by Chabad of Bal Harbour to assist the victims and their families.
Click here to help now.
Please pray for:
Moshe ben Toba
Moshe ben Shoshana
Ariel Leib ben Ita
Ilan ben Kalman
Leib ben Shoshana
Chaim ben Sara
Malka bas Sara Rochel
Yisroel Tzvi Yosef ben Toba
Ita bas Miriam
Tzvi Daniel ben Yehudis
Sara bat Ida
Nancy bas Sofia
Franky ben Nancy
Jay ben Nancy
Deborah bat Haia
Yehuda Arye ben Freida Rivka
Rut bat Sara
Nicole bat Andrea
Mikael ben Hans
Gabriela bat Sara
Linda bas Clara
Ilan ben Ronit
Deborah bat Clara
Yaakov Reuvein HaCohen ben Devorah
Tzvi hakohen ben Devorah
Estella bas Linda Leah
Lein ben Ilana
Debora bat Sara
Yehudis bas Dvora
An urgent message from The Shul and Hatzalah South Florida:
Dear Community,
A section of Champlain Towers South collapsed on Thursday morning, 8777 Collins Avenue, Surfside.
A hotline has been set up for family members looking for information
847-322-1422
Please say Tehillim Chapter 20 and 119 for those unaccounted for.
We are here for you.
The Shul
Hatzalah South Florida has established a command center on the scene and is working closely with MDFR and other law enforcement agencies. As further information becomes available, we will update the public.
I wish tons of people come shovel away and find live uninjured people if they not somewhere else safe and sound . unless it’s a danger zone can’t they mobilize???
There are thousands of older buildings that serve as residential units. This tragic incident raises the question if other buildings are at risk of collapse.