Questions Remain After Worker's Leg Severed in Miami Beach Building Collapse

A worker critically injured in Monday's building demolition gone wrong on Miami Beach remained hospitalized Tuesday as the investigation into why the structure collapsed incorrectly continued.

Miami Beach Police have launched a criminal investigation into the collapse of the 13-story Marlborough House at 5775 Collins Avenue that left 46-year-old Samuel Landis hospitalized.

Landis was working at the site when he was struck by debris from the collapse, fire rescue officials and witnesses said. According to a police incident report released Tuesday, an officer found Landis with a severed leg. Landis was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center where he remains hospitalized.

The report said the building "collapsed in an unsafe manner causing debris and thick smoke to cover Collins Avenue." The officer who wrote the report was among a group who suffered from smoke inhalation and were admitted to Mt. Sinai Hospital as a precaution.

The Marlborough House, an apartment building built in 1961, was being demolished to make way for a new luxury high-rise being built by Winmar Construction. Winmar officials said Landis worked for Allied Bean Demolition, which was performing the project's demolition work.

Police and city officials said the company's demolition permit did not allow for an implosion. Officials said demolition companies don’t need to specify how they’ll bring a building down but they do need to say whether or not debris will be contained to the property.

"They had tried to ask for a permit to implode and they'd been denied so it was standard demolition that was supposed to be taking place," Miami Beach Building Director Ana Salgueiro said at a news conference Monday. "We'll need to investigate further to know exactly what happened."

Allied Bean has yet to comment on the incident. OSHA is also investigating the collapse.