Firefighters rescued multiple people, including elderly residents, from a Miami apartment building on Monday as a fire tore through the structure, where crews also discovered an employee had been shot, according to BBC.
The fire started around 8:15 am local time at Temple Court Apartments, just outside Miami’s town center, according to Miami Fire Rescue. Flames were visible through a third-floor window upon the crew’s arrival, and the blaze rapidly spread through the 40-unit building.
Photos and videos from the scene showed dark smoke billowing from the beige building as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. Fire crews managed to rescue at least 30 people, including elderly residents in wheelchairs. One person was hospitalized, and three firefighters were also taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion. told by CBS.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez reported that responders found a person who had been shot, though it is unclear if the shooting is connected to the fire. Miami police identified the injured man as a third-floor employee of the apartment complex. He is currently in critical condition at a local hospital. reported by NBC News.
The causes of both the fire and the shooting remain under investigation. Crews continued battling the fire into Monday afternoon, with the third floor of the building beginning to collapse, according to Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll. He noted that the building’s wood construction fueled the fire, complicating efforts to extinguish it swiftly.
