Huge emergency operation underway after partial building collapse near Miami | CBC News

More than 80 fire and rescue units were on the scene of a partial building collapse near Miami, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department said in a tweet early Thursday.

While there were no immediate confirmed reports of death or injury, an image posted on Miami Beach Police’s Twitter account showed a tangle of rubble with debris spilling down from what was left of the balconies of the building in the darkness.

“We’re on the scene so it’s still very active,” said Sgt. Marian Cruz of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. “What I can tell you is the building is twelve floors. The entire back side of the building has collapsed.”

Photos and video from the scene show that the collapse affected half the tower. Piles of rubble and debris surrounded the area just outside the building. The department has yet to say what may have caused the collapse near 88th Street and Collins Avenue in Surfside.