The 12-storey apartment building, which is located in the Florida town of Surfside, suffered a devastating collapse at 1:30 am Thursday morning (local time).
Officials say at least one person is dead, with 99 still missing as rescue workers search through the rubble for survivors. 102 residents are safe, the Miami-Dade county mayor said.
“The building is literally pancaked,” Surfside mayor Charles Burkett said. “That is heartbreaking because it doesn’t mean, to me, that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive.”
Rescuers are working in teams of 10-12 to search through the rubble, with the aid of dogs and equipment.
Local media has reported heartbreaking stories of the rescue efforts, including one woman’s leg needed to be amputated to free her from the rubble.
Officials have yet to say the cause of the collapse. Construction work was underway on the roof, but Burkett said they are unsure whether it is linked to the collapse.
The residential building was built in 1981 and had over 130 units, 80 of which were occupied by people.