Dozens of fire-rescue units are at the scene of a partial building collapse in Surfside, Florida, just north of Miami Beach. Much of the structure crumbled into a huge pile of rubble early Thursday.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said one person was killed and nine injured. He explained that two people were taken to a hospital and one of them died. The other eight who were hurt were treated at the scene.

CBS Miami says rescuers are desperately trying to reach trapped residents. Some may be stuck in the rubble, the station says, adding that firefighters are using truck-mounted ladders to reach people stuck on balconies. They also did a floor by floor search.

It was a high-rise condominium building called Champlain Towers South, CBS Miami reports.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tweeted that it had more than 80 units there along with units from municipal fire departments. Miami Beach Police tweeted that "multiple police and fire agencies from across Miami-Dade" were assisting.

Florida Power & Light says it cut electricity to about 400 customers in the vicinity.

A family reunification center was set up nearby for anyone looking for unaccounted for relatives.

A man who was evacuated from a nearby hotel said, "The building – one of these huge buildings – gone! … The building – it's gone. … The whole building's gone. … Oh my gosh. This is the most insane thing I've ever seen in my life."

Building resident recounts being inside during collapse: "Loudest thing I've ever heard"

A man living in the Surfside, Florida high-rise building that collapsed early Thursday said he "thought it was lightning" when he first heard a crash outside his door.

"It was as loud as you could — the loudest thing I've ever heard," Barry Cohen told CBS News' Manuel Bojorquez. "Now I know what a building collapsing sounds like."

Cohen said Surfside police were already on the scene when he climbed out to his balcony.

"We said, 'What should we do?' And they said, 'Go back inside.' We don't know what's going on. And then we went out of our apartment," he said.

Cohen opened the door to leave but, where he was accustomed to seeing a 100-yard lobby. "It was rubble — gone," he said.

Cohen said he was simply "happy to be alive."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fve6wyNF7Ic

Lalasticlala

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-updates/florida-building-collapse-surfside/

This world is going through a lot now, may the Lord be merciful, and protect us and our beloved

May God console the bereaved and heal the wounded

Shithole America always trying to hide their failures from the world. The building totally collapse watch the idiots deceive Africans by calling it partially collapse. America is a smelling shithole, anyone applying for a visa to go there need to get their head checked

Third world shithole America your days are numbered. Your years of stealing the global south wealth and equity is about to catch up with you. Justice is coming for over 350 miliion Americans