Miami Heat's Tyler Herro, Chris Quinn and Eric Glass rush to the scene of ...

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro and assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Eric Glass lent a hand as they handed out supplies at the scene of a Surfside building collapse on Thursday.

Beachfront building Champlain Towers South came crashing down at around 1.30am on Thursday in Miami's Surfside neighborhood, leaving piles of debris where the front of the 12-story apartment block had stood.

Only one woman has been confirmed dead but authorities have warned the death toll could climb sharply given there were 99 people still missing as of Thursday afternoon. It was unclear if any, or all of those people, were inside the building.

On Thursday afternoon, members of basketball team Miami Heat and baseball team Miami Marlins flocked to support their local community by handing out vital supplies at the scene of the collapse.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was working out in the morning with assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Eric Glass when they were told there was a pressing need for assistance at the scene.

Hero, 21, Quinn, 37, and Glass quickly left the team's arena and made the short drive north to Surfside, Florida, where the beachfront condo building had collapsed.

The Heat trio helped to load a truck with water, food and other essentials and provided much-needed help and support at the scene.

'This is 12 miles from our arena,' Heat vice president and charitable fund executive director Steve Stowe told Associated Press. 'We heard about this, and our immediate reaction was that we had to find a way to help.'

Herro also spoke to the first responders at the scene, who continue with their efforts to find any survivors amid the rubble, thanking them for their heroism and efforts.

'I know it's got to be hard on your guys as well, so I appreciate you guys coming out here and responding for us,' he was heard saying in a video shared to Twitter by Will Manso, a WPLG Local 10 reporter.

The Heat, through some of their corporate partners like World Central Kitchen and Direct Relief, also arranged for more help to arrive.

Food trucks provided hot meals and grab-and-go boxes to keep rescuers and other personnel at the scene fed, while the team also helped to find accommodation for those displaced by the collapse.

'These are the moments when a community has to come together, rise up and help,' Stowe said.

Meanwhile, Miami Marlins sent three vans filled with food and drink, toiletries and other essential items to the scene to help displaced residents and rescue workers.

The team tweeted: 'In support of our community during today's tragic event, we sent three vans filled with meals and water to the rescue workers and kits of essential items and toiletries to the residents who have been displaced and families who have been impacted.'

Police have opened an investigation into the Miami apartment building collapse that left one dead and 99 missing - as hundreds of rescue crews continue to scour through tons of rubble and desperate families wait for news of any survivors. 

Officially, only one woman has been confirmed dead after the Champlain Towers South beachfront building collapsed at about 1.30am on Thursday.

But authorities have warned the death toll could climb sharply given there were 99 people still missing as of Thursday afternoon.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an emergency declaration for Miami-Dade County late on Thursday that will provide assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to those dealing with the high-rise building collapse. 

The emergency declaration came after President Joe Biden said the agency had been sent to Florida and offered help from the federal government in recovering from the disaster.

In their final press conference of the night, officials said there has been 'no change' in the number of victims and rescues since earlier on Thursday but said that search and rescue operations will continue around the clock.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during the press conference: 'The dogs are working on the garage, they're working on the top so they are visible right now. They are proceeding with all of their might.'

'They are so motivated to bring people out safely and restore them to our loved ones. As our day comes to an end, their day does not,' she said.

Cava said later: 'We are still in the investigative phase and we are not ruling out anything but there has been no evidence found of foul play.'

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz both spoke during the press conference addressing the tragedy.