Miami building collapse: No more survivors found overnight as fire hinders rescue efforts
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Your support makes all the difference.There has been no update to the number of survivors from the Miami building collapse overnight on Friday, officials said.
Rescue teams were still working to locate 159 unaccounted for people after the 12-storey Champlain Towers South building fell on Thursday. Four people have been confirmed dead.
One problem impacting the search efforts was a fire that’s burning deep within the rubble from the collapse.
Authorities were now working to locate the source of the fire, or fires, while also finding ways to still search for any possible survivors.
More fatalities are expected as authorities warned the number of missing from the collapsed apartment complex in Florida could increase from the current figure of 159.
Meanwhile, a researcher at Florida International University has revealed that the building had been sinking into the ground since the 1990s.
Firefighters rescued 35 people from the Champlain Tower South building that collapsed in the middle of the night on Thursday in Surfside, a beachside town just 6 miles (9.6 km) north of Miami.
Those with family members who may have been in the building at the time of its collapse are asked to call 305-614-1819. More information here.
More than 80 fire units are on the scene
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue service is on the scene of the “partial building collapse” near 88 Street & Collins Avenue.
Media staging area set up
Reporters have been positioned in a field near the scene, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue service say.
Watch: Social media users share footage of rubble
Miami locals are sharing photos and videos of the collapse to social media.
Jamal Akakpo says he was staying in a hotel next to the building and was asked to evacuate to a nearby recreational centre.
His footage shows emergency crews surrounding the rubble.
Watch: Rubble surrounds partially collapsed building
Footage taken at the scene shows the extent of the rubble generated by the collapse.
Traffic diverted away from scene
Vehicles are being kept clear of the collapse, the fire department say.
Local resident says she ‘heard screams'
A Champlain Towers resident has told NBC News that she “heard some screams”.
She added that she has been able to contact some of her neighbours after the collapse.
Police and fire crews respond
Miami Beach Police and Miami Beach Fire are assisting with the building collapse in Surfside.
Footage from the scene shows significant emergency services presence.
CBS reports death of woman
CBS News have reported that a woman has died after the building collapse.
The Independent has been unable to independently verify this and emergency services have not confirmed any deaths.
Where is Surfside?
Surfside is a town in Miami-Dade County, around six miles from Miami Beach.
It lies on a barrier island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Miami is situated in south-east Florida, which is itself located to the south-east of the United States.
Boy rescued from rubble
A boy has been rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building in Surfside, NBC report.
The news station broadcast footage appearing to show firefighters carrying the boy – who is alive and showing no obvious signs of injury – out of the debris and laying him on a stretcher.
Rescue efforts are ongoing as fire crews search for people in the wreckage.
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