Witness led first responders to 10-year-old buried in rubble after Miami-area condo collapsed
Nicholas Balboa said he and another man were first on the scene at the back of the building after it collapsed in Surfside.
Dozens of rescuers in South Florida are searching for survivors Thursday after an apartment building partially collapsed, killing at least one person, police confirmed.
Authorities told reporters that they have rescued 35 people from the building so far, with two people rescued from the rubble itself.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman told Fox News that about 51 people remain unaccounted for.
“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.
The scene of a collapsed building in Surfside, Fla., just north of Miami Beach.
(WSVN)
MIAMI-AREA BANQUET HALL SHOOTING 911 AUDIO IS RELEASED
Firefighters pulled at least one boy from the debris, according to photos online. A reporter from CBS Miami said at at least nine people were transported to the hospital.
Officials received offers of support from Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, as well as Gov. Ron DeSantis, to provide anything needed for the search-and-rescue operation, which may take up to a week.
The building address is 8777 Collins Avenue, according to Surfside police. The sea-view condo development was built in 1981 in the southeast corner of Surfside, on the beach. It had a few two-bedroom units currently on the market, with asking prices of $600,000 to $700,000, police said.
One witness who was on vacation in the city with his family told Fox News he was next door when it suddenly sounded like a tornado or earthquake.
“It was the craziest thing I ever heard in my life,” he said.
List of Champlain Tower residents who are missing, per a local synagogue. (Courtesy: Jordan Early, Fox News)
He added that he believed much of the building was occupied.
He estimated that the collapse occurred at about 1:20 a.m.
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SOURCE: WSVN (SOURCE: WSVN)
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Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP) ( )
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SOURCE: WSVN (SOURCE: WSVN)
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SOURCE: WSVN (SOURCE: WSVN)
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SOURCE: WSVN (SOURCE: WSVN)
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A bedroom is seen in part of the collapsed building. (WSVN)
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A partially collapsed building is seen early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
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A light glows in a partially collapsed building early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
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A partial collapsed building is seen early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
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In this image made from video, officials arrive on the scene of a building collapse in Surfside, Miami, FL., early Thursday, June 24, 2021. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (Jamal Akakpo via AP) ( )
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People view a partially collapsed building early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
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Miami-Dade fire rescue pulling a boy probably in his early teens from the rubble alive and also them rescuing some people from a balcony with an ariel ladder truck. I also have sound with three witnesses, one says there had been some on going construction being done on the building. ( )
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A partially collapsed building is seen early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
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A partially collapsed building is seen early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
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Firefighters search a partially collapsed building early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account. Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
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Miami building collapse, June 24, 2021 ( )
Joel Franco, a Miami-based freelance journalist, was live-tweeting from the scene. He noted that an urban search-and-rescue truck was at the scene. He posted another photo that he said showed about a dozen people who were rescued. Two were embracing. He posted, “This is tough to document.”
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“I did see some family members being rescued by a crane from the Miami-Dade Fire Department,” he said.
A bedroom is seen in part of the collapsed building.
(SOURCE: WSVN)
The building is one block away from where Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are leasing a condominium, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue set up a family reunification center nearby, and asked anyone who has family members who are unaccounted for or are safe to call 305-614-1819.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fox News’ Brie Stimson, Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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