At least one person dead as block of flats in Miami partially collapses

At least one person died as the beachfront side of the building in Surfside collapsed (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

A wing of a 12-floor Florida beachfront apartment building collapsed early on Thursday, killing at least one person while trapping residents in rubble and twisted metal.

Scores of rescuers pulled survivors from the debris of the building in Surfside, a small town outside Miami, as a cloud of dust floated through the neighbourhood.