On June 24, 2021, at approximately 1:22 a.m. EDT, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story beachfront condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, United States, partially collapsed, causing the deaths of 98 people. Four people were rescued from the rubble, but one of them died of injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital. Eleven others were injured. Approximately 35 were rescued the same day from the intact portion of the building, which was demolished ten days later.
A contributing factor under investigation was long-term degradation of reinforced concrete structural support in the basement-level parking garage under the pool deck, due to water penetration and corrosion of the reinforcing steel. The problems had been reported in 2018 and noted as "much worse" in April 2021. A $15 million program of remedial works had been approved before the collapse, but the main structural work had not started. Other possible factors considered included land subsidence, insufficient reinforcing steel, and corruption during construction.
In June 2026, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released their technical findings on what caused the partial collapse. The team concluded the collapse began in early June 2021, when two connections between garage columns and the pool deck failed. This led to the catastrophic collapse of the building on June 24, 2021, when two of the supporting columns in the middle part of the tower failed.
The Champlain Towers South colla
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying Surfside condominium collapse alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
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