Multi-Story Condominium Building Collapses In Miami; Multiple Casualties Feared

A multi-story condominium building partially collapsed near Miami Beach early Thursday morning, said authorities.

The cause of the collapse is unknown. It is not clear how many people were inside the building when it collapsed and how many are injured or trapped under the rubble. At least one person was killed and a 10-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble reported CBS-affiliate WFOR. Nine people were taken to the hospital. Multiple casualties are feared.

"The building – one of these huge buildings – gone! … This is the most insane thing I've ever seen in my life," a man who was evacuated from a nearby hotel, told CBS News.

Rescue teams reached the scene of the incident near 88th Street and Collins Avenue in the Surfside neighborhood At around 2 a.m. ET, said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. More than 80 MDFR units including the Technical rescue Team are at the location of the collapse.

“Multiple police and fire agencies from across Miami-Dade are assisting,” tweeted Miami Beach Police. Traffic from the area has been diverted to nearby streets.

"The building shook and then I looked out the window and you couldn't see. I thought it was like a storm or something coming in. When the dust cleared, the back two-thirds of the building was gone. It was down to the ground," said a resident who lives next door to the collapsed building.

People from nearby buildings have been evacuated to a nearby recreational center.

“We were walking our dog in the neighborhood, and basically we heard a really big rumble and we thought it was a motorcycle, you know, and we turned around and saw a cloud of dust just coming our way. We were like what is going on,” a witness told WFOR. “We went rushing toward it with shirts over our faces and the security guard came out and we were like what happened and she said the building collapsed.”

The 12-story building that sustained the collapse was built in 1981, according to NBC News. It has more than 130 units.

A commenter said, “These are condos that go for $600,000 to $900,000. If it can happen to them, just think how lax Miami regulations and inspections are for buildings occupied by lower socio-economic status people.”