Miami Beach building evacuated due to structural damage

Miami Beach Building Evacuated Due to Possible Landslide Near Collapsed Apartments in Surfside

Ivan Rodriguez Gelfenstein — Residents of a Miami Beach building across the street from a collapsed Surfside apartment complex that left nearly 100 people dead were forced to evacuate Thursday night after authorities determined the facility was unsafe.

The building's structural engineer's report generated an evacuation notice for the 164-unit facility, located at 6969 Collins Avenue, which is in the process of recertification after 50 years.

The Champlain Towers South apartment complex in Surfside, Florida, which collapsed in June 2021 and killed 98 people, is also located on Collins Avenue, 2.1 km from Port Royale.

Port Royale residents said Miami Beach city officials notified them the day before that the property needed to be evacuated, but the notice to evacuate immediately wasn't issued until Thursday, local television reported.

The tragedy at the 12-story building in Surfside prompted the largest hurricane-free emergency operation in Florida history, with rescue teams arriving from across the country and even from Israel to help local teams find victims.

Miami Beach spokeswoman Melissa Berthier said around 4 p.m. on Thursday that the city plans to issue a warning about the danger of the facility and order the immediate evacuation of the 14-story building in Port Royale. About an hour later, resort management sent residents a mandatory notice to leave at 7 p.m., according to a local newspaper.