At least one person has died and dozens are unaccounted for after the collapse overnight of a 12-storey residential building north of Miami, Florida, officials say.
The number of those not yet located has risen from 51 to 99, Miami-Dade police say, with 53 now accounted for.
It is unclear how many people were in the building at the time.
The complex in the town of Surfside was built in 1980. Out of 130 units, about half were affected by the collapse.
A number of Latin American migrants have been reported missing by their consulates.
JUST IN: Video I’ve obtained of the building collapse in Surfside, Florida. pic.twitter.com/BGbRC7iSI9
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) June 24, 2021
The back of the building, probably a third or more, is totally pancaked,” Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told a news conference.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who visited the site on Thursday afternoon, said the fire and rescue service was still in “search and rescue mode”.
“The TV doesn’t do it justice. It is really, really traumatic to see the collapse of a massive structure like that,” he said.
A community centre in Surfside has been turned into a family reunification centre and an information point for concerned relatives.
President Joe Biden said he was waiting for Mr DeSantis to declare an emergency and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) were already at the scene.
“I say to the people of Florida, whatever help you want, what the federal government can provide, we’re waiting, just ask us. We’ll be there,” Mr Biden said.
Police gave the building’s location as 8777 Collins Avenue, the address of the 12-storey Champlain Towers. The city of Surfside runs along Collins Avenue, north of Miami Beach city limits.
-BBC
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