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Horrific thing that ive seen in my life. The wheel thing came down. It looks like a bomb went off but were sure a bomb didnt go off. A brief moment of hope that youre looking at from earlier this morning before the sun came up, that is rescuers pulling a young boy from the rubble alive. Hes one of two people that Authorities Say they have been able to rescue from the debris so far. Take a look at this. This is what the highrise ocean front looked like before the collapse this morning and here it is after the collapse in the aftermath, what is left of the building. Our Layla Santiago is on the scene in surfside, florida, with the latest. So youve been there since right after this happened. What are people telling you . Reporter we learned new numbers. We learned that 35 people were rescued. Two were pulled from the rubble. But when i asked the key question of how many are still missing, officials couldnt give me that answer. They are asking families and friends who have not been able to reach someone who may have been in that building to call in to their hotline. Now, another big question that still hasnt been answered and i suspect will be a long time before we get the answer is how did this happen . What led to the partial collapse of this building that has 130 units, 55 of which collapsed. And that is something that now will be central in an investigation. I have been here all morning, when i got here the massive response and more than 80 units here responding to this C Catastrophe as the mayor called it, many of whom are still on scene, a scene that now has a new challenge, poppy, we talked about the challenge of being concerned about the Structural Integrity of the building. Now it is raining. So now theyre also having to search under a different type of weather conditions. So you know, what we have learned from those who were inside and those that were outside is how loud of a noise this made. One man described it to me like a thunder or thought it was a bomb. One woman said she thought it was at engine of a plane. One man, barry cohen, who i spoke to was inside when part of the Building Collapsed. I looked down the hallway and it is a very long hallway, probably 100 yards, 75 yards, and there was nothing there. It was just a pile of dust and rubble and paint falling from the ceilings. I felt the whole building was going to just collapse, so once we were in the cherry picker, a feeling of relief just came over me that was incredible, that i survived this this tragedy. Reporter you could only imagine the relief. Barry told me that the last thing he could think to do was just to pray and that is when he saw the firefighters. I should mention that the building, what is left of it, has been cleared. But the search is still very much active. I have seen k9s out here so that continues. The other concern is there is a small hotel right next to where this collapse took so they have evacuated that and are putting those families up in another hotel, concerned about the integrity of what is left here in surfside. Layla, in the last hour, the last we heard from the rescue teams still working there and we should note this is a painstaking process, it takes time, but they have not yet heard or senses any hits, any signs life to this point. You have heard any up sdate in e last hour. The last update in the last 30 minutes is the number two for the people who have been pulled from the rubble. As we have shown you on cnn, there was obviously the boy and there was video of that in a very compelling story of the hero behind it. He know that somebody else has been pulled. But how many may still be under or how many hits they may think they have, we still dont know that. I could tell you they stood in front of the media very confident they have the resources they need to be able to move forward with this investigation and this Search And Rescue that will continue throughout the day. Something they made very clear will not be a matter of minutes or hours but could be a matter of days. Smometimes you could be surprised by good news. We know theyre working hard there. Thank you so much. So lets bring in an eyewitness who lives in the building just next door. She also said she was awakened by the loud noise, obviously of the collapse and has a friend who lives inside of the partially collapsed building. Can you hear us this morning . Yes, i can hear you. Is your friend okay and what was it like . My friend is okay. Hes shaken. He was trapped in his condo. He opened the front door of his condo and the hallway was blocked by concrete, steel and when you looked across the hallway you could see that the wall half is missing and the other one is also leaning. It looks really it paints a picture that is dramatic because you dont have any way out. You do not have any stairway. So from the balcony, the rescue finally came. Jim sciutto here with poppy. Did you, prior, hear anything prior to the building coming down or did it just come down from your Vantage Point . I was suddenly a loud bang almost like a tremble went on. It woke me up. I thought there was thundering so i was awakened for the lightning to strike or the thunder to follow. But this rumbling was very different, very strange. And something was not right in this sound. It was too strong, too violent. It almost felt like a shock wave coming from the next building. So when i went from the balcony, i saw dust in the air and that is when i realized that something is not right and right away i went downstairs. And of course we were without electricity, so i used the stairs with my flashlight and i saw this building, the Trumbling Tower South Standing with this slice just the part of the building that is facing was standing up. It was a dramatic view as lights of the building and the other one was flapping down. I want to show our viewer this is picture that we just got in of we just saw it a moment ago. It is a picture of bunkbeds in one of the collapsed apartments. The reason i ask you this, as a parent, you just think about your kids. Right. And one would assume those were childrens bunkbeds. How many families . Was this a building with a lot of families and kids. Yes. We are residents and most of us live and work in miami. I walk the beach every single morning for exercise. I know the family. I see them on the balcony outside sipping a coffee, doing yoga, doing some exercise. I see elderly people who walk even on the balcony walking around, doing some stretching. So i know these people and i saw exactly what you were saying, the children bed on the 11th floor, theyre still there. So yes, this is dramatic. This shouldnt happen. It doesnt make sense that a building where people live peacefully, family and children in the middle of the night crumble. It doesnt make sense. And actually, i counted the unit using the map of the building and i may be wrong, but there are 72 units that went down that collapsed. So if you do the math, of the building of 136 units, if 72 units went down, collapsed, it means more than half of this building failed. Was it the structure . Um, two weeks ago the building removed a crane that was a part of the side of the building. It was a part that was a huge crane and it was a product of the Northeast Corner of the building, okay. This crane was there for two weeks. Why . Because the crane was lifting heavy material up to the roof and placing these heavy material including machine right exactly on the north east corner. Interesting. So im just im just im just my common sense went there right away. Perhaps the weight on the roof was not properly. Terrella, that is a question for authorities. Well ask them, a witness there that lives nearby and were happy that youre safe, because, goodness, this is so close to many of the other buildings around them. Thank you. Just moments ago, ron desantis spoke about this collapse. Here is what he said. I just want to thank everybody who responded to the Condo Collapse down in surfside. We have Emergency Response personnel dispatched there. First responders were able to saver a lot of people. They are going to be going through more and it is a really tragic situation. So well hope for the best in terms of additional recovery, but we are bracing for some bad news just given the destruction that were seeing. So im going to be making it do you know there very shortly and the state is going to be able to helping out in any way that we can. With us on phone is sally hineman, a Miamidade County commissioner. Commissioner, can you hear us . Yes. Good morning. It is sally heyman, Miamidade County commissioner. Thank you very much for all of you have to do right now. What is the latest update that you could give us. Have there been any more rescued . It has been a incredible response from First Responders, not just miamidade fire rescue which has its own International Research and rescue team that goes out to other places, this is our first home town situation. And they have been joined by all of the cities of the county and their Rescue Departments and Broward County also. So thanks to all of our First Responders. Currently we are in a pause mode because we have a thunderstorm that is managed to come ashore in the town of surfside. But fire rescue and First Responders are on scene. What i could tell you is the Search Capacity face of their operation has concluded. They have gone entirely through the structure, i believe by 8 00 in the morning, checking for occupancy and anybody trapped in the structure that hadnt been compromised and the one partially compromised, to the re rest of the Search And Rescue efforts has been done by man power on the outside and search on the barrier quarters, also with drones and with dogs. It has shifted now or started to shift to recovery. Approximately 40 persons had been extracted by our records. Some of them were helped by other people. The Total Structure Unit is not considered safe so there is great pause in what is being done by the First Responders. The building itself, i could tell you it is solely a residential but it is mixed residential. So it is hard to get a count on it. From full time residents and families, Senior Citizens to snowbirds, shortterm people and renters. We can tell you from what we have have heard from the assist and regroup and reach out component of it, approximately 50 people were unaccounted for from people who have been calling in, people who are known to have been there or should be there and have not called out. Okay. I could give the number for reaching out to a loved one and determining the status of a person if you want that. But we have weve been sharing that. Huh . Weve been sharing that on the air. Just to be clear, youre saying 50 people unaccounted for so far. Are you aware, commissioner, heyman, of any work being done on this building prior, anything taking place at this complex prior to this collapse that gives you concern . Yes. Not concern, but just the status. And you know, i appreciate so many people opining the cause. That is what you have professionals for. Once they can do a forensic assessment, the professionals will do that. But yes, there has work on the building being done to meet the 40year standard. That is something that has been put in place not just for the county, but for all eunice paltz and we have a strict Building Code since Hurricane Andrew for updates and improvements. The cause, though, is questionable and so anybody can have an opinion. But the professionals arent stating one. Commissioner some work and they started on the roof but its not to say what the cause is. Commissioner, just to be very clear here, 50 people you have received calls this morning that 50 people that were supposed to show up somewhere that lived in this building did not show up, is that correct . Not quite. Actually, it is 51 people who are supposedly residing there at the time have not either called out, or had people call in to reach them. We have the number that you have been broadcasting and others, plus the Miamidade Police department, the 311 number for countywide and the Fire Department and the city have numbers and so we have 51 people that were assumed to have been there but you dont know between vacations or anything else. So were still waiting and unfortunately the hope is still there, but it is weaning. Hope is waning. I could tell you, if i could tell you, the recovery efforts, the men and women who are there that we send them other places, they are on the ground there. It is a comprehensive effort to do what we can to get live people. Commissioner and we are so deeply gratsful. Well let you get back to that important work. Thank you for the important update that you just gave. That was Miamidade County commissioner on the phone with us. As we continue to follow this Breaking News, near miami beach, half of the residential Condo Building In Surfside florida, has collapsed, there there are fears many more people have been trapped, crews are racing to save them. Other, keeping the family together . Was that your grandfather, paving the way for change. Did they brave mother nature. And walk away stronger . Did they face the unknown, with resolve. And triumph. Theres strength in every family story. Learn more about yours. Now, we all know progressive offers 24 7 protection, but we also bundle outdoor vehicles with home and auto to help people save more [ laughs ] [ humming ] [ door creaks ] oh. [ soft Music Playing ] what are you all doing in my daydream . Its better than that presentation. A lot better. You know, whether its a fraction or a decimal, its still fun, you know . Paul loves food. But his diabetes made food a mystery. Everything felt like a no. but then paul went from no to know. 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Authorities have found at least one person dead, dozens more injured and there are still a number of people that they believe unaccounted for. We just heard from Miamidade County commissioner who said 51 people who lived in the building have not reached out or loved ones have not been able to contact them. We should understand that is not a hard number because theyre still trying to get in touch with people. But an early estimate at least at this point of people they have not been able to contact to confirm their safety, well continue to monitor that. About half of the units in the overall complex, rather, were destroyed. Officials are worried that the other part of the building Still Standing there in the live picture is in danger of falling. Well continue to bring you details as we find out more. Other story that were following this morning. Just over an hour from now, senators will go to the white house to meet with President Biden and run by him the bipartisan agreement they say they reached last night on infrastructure. At least a framework agreement. Poppy, weve been covering this for sometime. A step forward, well see how far it goes. And i believe i said yesterday, i think that they were going to make a deal. So maybe they will. Manu raju is on capitol hill. You just spoke with West Virginia senator joe manchin who is kind of important in all of this. What did he say about where this stands . Reporter well he is involved in the bipartisan talks. He cut this deal with the number nine other senators from both parties. Hes pitching his bipartisan plan. But that is one piece of the larger strategy among democrats to move forward with 4 trillion of joe bidens larger agenda. And in order to move the plan, democrats want to move on this bipartisan deal. We still have the details, it has not been written. But the overall agreement has been reached among the senators. But they want to have a Straight Party line Budget Process to avoid a filibuster in the senate. So they could get it through with all 50 democrats side with them with the Vice President breaking the tie. So that would mean they need joe manchin who has been resistance from going down the party line approach, so back the party line approach. So i asked him whether or not hes in favor of going along party lines, but he also made very clear that hes not ready to say yes to that yet and urged some caution to the large price tag that liberals in his party are pushing. They say that one is being held hos