Updated on Friday, June 25, at 4:16 p.m.

At least four people were killed and 159 others, including children and the elderly, may be trapped in the rubble after a 12-story, 136-unit oceanfront condominium tower in Surfside, Fla., partially collapsed at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday. Miami-Dade county police said on Friday that as of now, 159 people who were assumed to be in the building when it collapsed have not yet been accounted for.

A massive search-and-rescue operation involving hundreds of emergency workers from around the Miami-Dade area was underway throughout Thursday night and Friday and will continue for weeks to come, experts said. According to Raide Jadallah, assistant chief of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, 35 people were rescued from the building and two people from the rubble.

Those who have been pulled from what is left of the Champlain Towers South at 8777 Collins Ave. have been rushed to local hospitals, including a boy of about 15 years of age. Evacuees from the area were taken to a local community center, where Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis and volunteers from The Shul—a major Chabad-Lubavitch center only blocks away on Collins Avenue—were on hand to provide comfort and support.

“There are few words that could give anybody consolation because you are dealing with an unimaginable, horrific tragedy that struck in the middle of the night,” said Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar, executive director and rabbi of The Shul. He added that “we live with consistent and constant hope, but at the same time, we have to get used to the fact that the soul has eternal existence.”

A member of the Chabad-Lubavitch community who is at the scene urged people to pray, noting that there are many people who are unaccounted for. “This is a tragedy,” he said, asking that his name not be used. “There are many Jewish people still unaccounted for and we should pray. The problem is it’s very difficult to access the building and get to the back” where the collapse happened.

Barry Cohen, a resident of the building, told reporters that “at first, it sounded like a crash of lightning, thunder. But then it just kept on steadily for at least 15 to 30 seconds, just kept on going and going and going,” he added.

Cohen says he was rescued from his apartment in a crane operated by firefighters.

Resident Barry Cohen was rescued from his apartment in a crane operated by firefighters.
Resident Barry Cohen was rescued from his apartment in a crane operated by firefighters.

Hotline Established, Psalms Requested

In an email to community members, The Shul noted that a hotline has been set up for family members looking for information, which has since reverted to the main line at 305-868-1411. Hatzalah South Florida has established a command center on the scene and is working closely with local rescue and law enforcement agencies.

The Shul is also serving as a collection point for needed materials, including: blankets, pillows, snacks, fruit, games, drink, phone chargers and more for those who were displaced by the building collapse. The Shul has set up a fund to help the victims and families impacted.

There is a request that Tehillim (Psalms) Chapter 20 and Chapter 119 be said for those unaccounted for. The following names have been received thus far:

Ariel Leib ben Ita

Chaim ben Sarah

Devorah bat Chaya

Esther bat Linda

Frankie ben Nancy

Gavriela bat Sarah

Ilan ben Kalman

Ita bat Miriam

Jay ben Nancy

Leible ben Feiga Rivka

Leib ben Shoshana

Lein ben Ilana

Malka bat Sarah Rochel

Michoel ben Hans

Moshe ben Toba

Moshe ben Shoshana

Nancy bat Sofia

Nicole bat Andrea

Ruth bat Sarah

Sara bat Ida

Tzvi Daniel ben Yehudit

Yehuda Aryeh ben Freida Rivka

Yisroel Tzvi Yosef ben Toba

The Shul on Collins Avenue, only a few blocks north of the disaster site. (Map: Chabad.org Directory)
The Shul on Collins Avenue, only a few blocks north of the disaster site. (Map: Chabad.org Directory)
The partially collapsed building (Photo: Santo Mejil)
The partially collapsed building (Photo: Santo Mejil)

This story will be updated throughout the day.