1 dead, 2 trapped in Miami, Florida parking garage collapse

MIAMI - A section of a parking garage under construction at a community college collapsed Wednesday, killing one worker and trapping at least two others in the rubble, officials said.

The two trapped workers were using cellphones to talk to rescue teams, Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Griselle Marino said. Several other workers were hurt.

The cause of the collapse on the Miami-Dade College campus was not immediately released.

Four workers were taken to the hospital, including one in serious condition, Marino said. Three others were treated by paramedics at the scene.

The large section of the four-story garage fell shortly before 11:40 a.m. No students were in the area at the time, authorities said.

Victoria Buczynski of Miami said she saw the collapse while she was working at Gurkha Cigars directly across the street from the construction site.

"It fell to the ground like a house of cards," Buczynski said. "The construction workers started running out, screaming. It was loud. Our entire building shook."

The construction of the garage appeared to be nearly complete. Ground was broken on the $22.5 million project in February, and it was to be completed in December, according to Ajax Building Corporation's website. The first floor was to have classroom and office space.

TV reports showed one large section of the concrete structure collapsed.The identity of the worker who died was not immediately released.