REPORT.
HERES SAVANNAH GUTHRIE.
>>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
WERE COMING ON THE AIR EARLY
WITH BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING.
A MASSIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE
OPERATION UNDER WAY AT THIS HOUR
AFTER THE PARTIAL COLLAPSE OF A
HIGH-RISE CONDOMINIUM BUILDING
IN SURFSIDE FLORIDA, THATS JUST
NORTH OF MIAMI BEACH.
THATS THE SCENE RIGHT NOW.
A HUGE PILE OF DEBRIS DOWN ONE
SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND ONE
PERSON PULLED FROM THE BUILDING
WITH EMERGENCY CREWS THERE
LAUNCHING A FRANTIC SEARCH FOR
OTHER SURVIVORS.
NBCS SAM BROCK IS AT THE SCENE.
GOOD MORNING.
WHAT WITNESSES ARE SAYING, IT
SOUNDS JUST HORRIFIC.
>> Reporter: SAVANNAH, MASSIVE
IS THE RIGHT WORD.
FRANKLY, THE POTENTIAL OF
DEVASTATING HUMAN LIFE IS
UNDENIABLE.
THERE ARE CLEARLY SEARCH AND
RESCUE EFFORTS GOING ON.
THERE ARE TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAMS
GOING BALCONY TO BALCONY TO TRY
AND FIND OUT IF THERES ANYBODY
IN THERE, AND I JUST HEARD A SAW
AND I DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
CUTTING OFF, AND ON THE
NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE
BUILDING, ITS RUBBLE.
YOU SEE STONES AND RUBBLE
JETTING OUT OF APARTMENT
BUILDINGS.
A WOMAN FROM THE NINTH FLOOR WAS
ABLE TO GET OUT AND SHE HER
SCREENS, AND SHE SAID SHES
ALMOST SURE SHE LOST FRIENDS.
HERES HOW SHE DESCRIBED.
>> THE BUILDING SHOOK, AND THEN
I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND
COULDNT SEE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A STORM OR
SOMETHING COMING IN.
WHAT HAPPENED IS WHEN THE DUST
CLEARED THE BACK HALF OF THE
BUILDING OR THE BACK TWO-THIRDS
OF THE BUILDING WAS GONE, DOWN
TO THE GROUND.
>> Reporter: THAT WAS A
GENTLEMAN --
>> I HEARD A LOT OF SCREAMING.
I WENT DOWN THE SECOND STAIRCASE
AND I SAW IT PANCAKED.
>> Reporter: THIS BUILDING WAS
CONSTRUCTED AND OPENED IN 1981.
THATS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT
BARELY HAS JUST BEEN 40 YEARS.
THIS WAS A REQUIRED INSPECTION,
AND THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF
STARTING THAT RIGHT NOW, LOOKING
AT THE ROOF AND GOING DOWN, AND
WHETHER THERES ANY CONNECTION
AT ALL OF WHAT WAS GOING ON FROM
THE BUILDING EFFORT AND THE
COLLAPSE, THATS NOT CLEAR.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN UPDATE ON
THE FATALITIES OR INJURIES.
THERE ARE FIRE TRUCKS FOR
BLOCKS, FROM MULTIJURISDICTIONAL
AGENCIES ALL OVER SOUTH FLORIDA
DOING WHAT THEY CAN RIGHT NOW,
SAVANNAH.
>> ITS UNFATHOMABLE WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE PHOTOS.
IS IT THE SIDE FACING THE OCEAN
THAT PARTIALLY COLLAPSED, OR THE
OTHER SIDE?
>> Reporter: THATS EXACTLY
RIGHT.
ITS THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUILDING FROM
THE 45-DEGREE ANGLE, ITS FACING
THE OCEAN, AND THE RESIDENT SAID
THERES VERTICAL LINES, AND SHE
SAYS THREE OR FOUR OF THEM WIPED
OUT, AND YOU ARE LOOKING AT 40
OR 50 UNITS OF PEOPLE THAT COULD
HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS,
SAVANNAH.
>> IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT,
TOO.
WITNESSES SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE
AN EARTHQUAKE.
SAM BROCK, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH IT.
WATCH IT. WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE C