News: Rescue efforts underway after partial collapse of condominium building in Surfside

MIAMI BEACH, FL – Rescuers were searching for survivors following the partial collapse of a beachfront condominium building in Miami-Dade County early Thursday morning.

NBC Miami reports at least one person was killed in the collapse of Champlain Towers, a 12-story residential building near 88th Street and Collins Avenue in Surfside, north of Miami Beach. 

Multiple police, fire departments and emergency crews rushed to the scene following the incident that happened at about 2 a.m.

Three people were taken to Aventura Hospital, two of them in critical condition. Officials said at least 10 people were treated at the scene and about 35 people were pulled from the wreckage.  

It was not known how many people were in the building at the time of the incident, but Surfside Mayor Charles W. Burkett said it was expected that the death toll would rise as the search and rescue mission continued.  

People in nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution and taken to a recreational center.

The cause of the collapse is not yet known. Champlain Towers, a building with more than 130 units, was built in 1981.

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