Miami building collapse: what happened to Florida apartment tower - and how many victims have been found?

The building, which partially collapsed on 24 June, has now been demolished
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

More bodies have been found in the rubble of a partially-destroyed apartment block which was fully demolished after it collapsed last month.

Rescue efforts will now get back underway at the apartment complex near Miami, Flordia, after they were suspended for the building to be demolished.

What happened?

Rescue workers are still trying to reach survivors in the rubble after a building collapsed in Surfside, near Miami (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)Rescue workers are still trying to reach survivors in the rubble after a building collapsed in Surfside, near Miami (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Rescue workers are still trying to reach survivors in the rubble after a building collapsed in Surfside, near Miami (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Champlain Towers apartment complex in Surfside, near Miami, collapsed some time around 1:30am local time on 24 June, with approximately half the building’s 130 units affected.

Reports suggest that the middle of the building began to collapse first, followed by a larger section which fell to the ground.

The block was built in the 1980s.

Speaking to CBS Miami, a man who was walking his dog reported hearing a “loud rumble” and a “cloud of dust”.

He said: "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.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We were like - 'what is going on?' 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."

Due to the structural problems with the remaining building and an incoming storm, the decision was taken to demolish the remaining building.

There were concerns that the building might have collapsed further, putting rescue workers and survivors at risk.

More than 100 still missing

More than 115 people are still missing, while at least 27 have been confirmed dead due to the collapse.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Around 35 people were pulled from the rubble in the initial aftermath, with at least two now receiving treatment in hospital.

Foreign governments and embassies from many South American countries have confirmed that citizens from their nations are among the missing.

Republican Florida Senator, Marco Rubio, said “Almost 1/3 of those now reported missing after the Surfside tragedy are foreign nationals.

“We are working with the Consulates of various countries in the Western Hemisphere to help secure travel visas for family members who need to travel to the U.S.”

‘A complete collapse’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While the cause of the collapse is yet to be confirmed, a 2008 engineers’ report shows that there were structural problems with the building which should have been addressed.

said the death toll from the incident is likely to rise significantly.

Speaking at a press conference the following day, Surfside mayor Charles Burkett, said: "It was something like I never believed could happen.

"It was a complete collapse of the building. I thought maybe a balcony had gone down, but we've got 134 units in that building, I understand, and literally half that building is not there anymore.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We're working hard... we've got resources like you can't believe here, we've got the dogs, we've got the equipment and we're going to do our very best to save as many people in that pile of rubble as we possibly can."

President Joe Biden has offered federal support to the state of Florida, and a local state of emergency has been declared.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis attended the site of the incident, describing it as “traumatic to see”.

Speaking at a news conference, he said: "It's a tragic day. We still have hope to be able to identify additional survivors."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A White House official said: "Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost their beloved as a result of this horrific incident - and to those families who wait in anguish as search-and-rescue teams assess the situation."

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.