Over 30 residents were evacuated from a northwest Miami-Dade apartment building Thursday after a portion of the roof overhang collapsed.
The building is located at 17350 NW 68th Avenue. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the three-story apartment building at around 4 p.m.
"When we went to go see on the window what it was - the whole thing was on top of our porch", said resident Kayley Vega.
Kayley and her sister Hayley were in their unit when the awning came crumbling down. The sisters heard a loud boom so they grabbed their dogs and fled.
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"I went to her room and I started screaming like, 'Lets go, the roof fell down.' So we started running with the dogs. I came out barefoot," Hayley Vega said.
Doorbell footage shows the sister running away and moments later firefighters are seen ensuring everyone is out.
"I was crying. I was scared," Vega said. "I’m still kind of shaking, it was scary to look at, you know, and I’m young, I didn’t know how to react."
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Footage from Chopper 6 shows a portion of the roof overhang in pieces on the ground below. The damage happened to only the exterior of the building.
Crews evacuated residents and assessed the structural integrity of the building. There are no reports of injuries so far.
It's unclear why the roof collapsed.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the building had passed its 40-year inspection and was approaching the 50-year mark. She added nothing in the recertification that indicated there was a problem.
"There was reporting from some of the people who live there that there was some leaks and concerns," said Mayor Levine Cava. "We understand that there was some kind of inspection made, some repairs were underway."
Officials say the 32 residents will be allowed back in to get emergency items, but the timeline on that has not been specified. After that, this building will be closed for investigation.
It is not clear yet, if and when residents will be able to live in their apartments again.
The American Red Cross is helping the displaced families.
