VIDEO | Nearly 100 missing in Florida's collapsed building

More than a third of the 12-storey skyscraper, which housed 136 apartments, collapsed in the middle of the night at about 01:35 a.m. local time. Police confirmed tonight that they do not know the whereabouts of the 99 people believed to have been in the building at the time of the demolition.

One person has been confirmed dead so far, and about 40 have been rescued from the rubble. Among the rescued is a boy. Ten people were treated by ambulance crews on the spot, two of whom were sent to hospital.

Rescuers are still searching for the wreckage, but hopes are dashed.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said local and state officials hoped more people would be rescued from the collapsed skyscraper.

"But we are preparing for the bad news given the devastation we have witnessed," DeSantis said.

The cause of the collapse of the skyscraper built in 1981 is still unknown. It has been confirmed that construction work was carried out on the roof of the building, but it is not known whether they caused the collapse.

The family of Paraguay's first lady disappeared when the skyscraper collapsed, the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.

Four Venezuelans and eight Argentines are also missing after a Florida skyscraper collapsed, the consulates said.

"The problem is that the building fell like a pancake, all the floors fell on top of each other. Before the collapse, the floors were about 3 meters away, now they are about half a meter. "I am heartbroken because we do not think we will be successful in finding survivors," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told a news conference.

A witness to the Surfside skyscraper collapse told CNN that the occupants of the building "screamed in panic as they tried to escape the building".

Aaron Miles, his girlfriend and members of their families were staying at a nearby Bluegreen resort, which was also evacuated when the skyscraper collapsed. "When we went down to the lobby, everything was full of dust and debris from the building," Miles told CNN.

"It was horrible. Children and adults screamed and cried. "It was one of the worst experiences of my life," Miles said.

VIDEO | Miami: Rescuers rescued 35 people, killed at least one person

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