Miami Herald: “A 12-story oceanfront condo tower partially collapsed early Thursday morning in the town of Surfside, spurring a massive search-and-rescue effort with dozens of rescue crews from across Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The ocean-facing portion of Champlain Towers South Condo, completed in 1981 with 130 units at 8777 Collins Ave., collapsed around 1:30 a.m., leaving a heap of rubble and trapping residents asleep in their beds inside. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava addressed the media in front of a backdrop of thunder and lightning. Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Ray Jadallah says 55 units in the Northeast corridor of the building collapsed, and 35 survivors were pulled out. Ten were treated at the scene, two were transported to the hospital. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett confirmed at least one person has died.”

“Authorities anticipate more fatalities but wouldn’t speculate on the number. Sally Heyman, the Miami-Dade commissioner whose district includes Surfside, told CNN that 51 building residents were unaccounted for as of now. In a text, Heyman said that information came from the emergency reunification center set up to track the names of survivors, injured and the unaccounted for, and to give friends and family a place to go while they await news from the scene. Rachel Johnson, communications director for county mayor Daniella Levine Cava, said she couldn’t confirm the tally. ‘We don’t have an official count,’ she said. Just after 8 a.m., Frank Rollason, director of Miami-Dade Emergency Management, told the Miami Herald emergency workers believe they have cleared all easily reachable survivors from inside the tower, which has more than 130 apartments. He said more than 70 of the units have been destroyed or damaged. ‘Everyone who is alive is out of the building,’ he told the Miami Herald.”