Surfside (USA): A part of a multi-story building collapsed on Thursday in the surfside city of Miami in the US, killing at least one person and spreading debris everywhere. Several rescue units have reached the partially collapsed building and firefighters have been seen trying to rescue people from the rubble. Miami-Dade Police said in a tweet that one person had died in the building collapse.
Santo Mezil, 50, told the Miami Herald newspaper that his wife was in the building where she works as an assistant to an elderly woman. According to Mejil, his wife told that there was a big explosion and it seemed that there was an earthquake. Mejil said his wife told him that rescuers had brought him down.
Officials have no information about the number of other casualties in the incident or the number of people living in the building. The Miami Dade Fire Rescue Division, which is conducting the rescue and search operation, said in a tweet that more than 80 units are on the scene and are receiving assistance from the municipal fire department.
Surfside Police Department sergeant Marianne Cruz said, “We have reached the spot and all we can tell you is that the building is 12-story. The back of the building has completely collapsed.”
Police have closed the surrounding roads and fire and rescue vehicles, ambulances, and police cars have reached the spot. From the photos and videos, it seems that only a part of the building has collapsed. A pile of rubble has piled up outside the building. However, the department has not yet explained what caused the building to collapse.
