Officials said that a 12-story apartment building in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed, and the death toll has climbed to nine people because the large-scale search and rescue mission continued on Sunday to the fourth day.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (Daniella Levine Cava) said at a news conference on Sunday that at around 1:30 on Thursday morning, as many residents fell asleep, Champlainta Four more bodies were found in the rubble of the South Apartment. in the morning. More than 150 people are still missing.
Kava said that more human remains have been found, and DNA testing is needed to identify these remains.
Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Allen Kominsky said rescuers still hope to find survivors waiting to be rescued in the cracks and voids of concrete, twisted metal and personal belongings.
“Hope. This is what I am concerned about,” Kominsky said. “We will continue to move and search as hard as possible until we have to make a decision.”
Kava said that since 54-year-old Stacy Fang and her 15-year-old son were rescued from the rubble in the early hours of Thursday morning, no survivors have been found in the wreckage of the building. Fang later died in the hospital.
Just after 2 pm on Sunday, the relatives of those who are still missing boarded several city buses at a hotel where a family reunion center has been set up, and under the escort of the police, they went to an area near the collapsed building for private prayer and night vigil activity. For their missing relatives.
At a private briefing on Saturday night, desperate relatives of those missing and afraid of being buried in the rubble confronted officials, telling them “you haven’t done enough,” and grim news came on Sunday.
According to a mobile phone video obtained by ABC News, a woman told Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other government officials at a meeting: “Imagine if your children were there.”
“I know you are doing what you can, but it’s not enough,” the distressed woman added. “You gave us a promise, but you didn’t fulfill it, you can fulfill it. My daughter is dying.”
Mayor Kava said that firefighters managed to control the out-of-control fire burning deep in the rubble, hindering rescue efforts. She said the fire was brought under control around noon on Saturday.
She also said that the emergency team had dug a trench 125 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 40 feet deep in the rubble to help strengthen the search.
DeSantis warned that “many major pieces” would soon be removed from the site and moved to a huge warehouse.
“The fragments that come out do have forensic value, so once they are taken away, they will be resolved,” DeSantis said.
Kava said that 6 to 8 rescue teams consisting of about 300 first responders have been working round the clock to screen the ruins, looking for survivors and human remains. She said that hundreds of other search and rescue team members are on standby to rescue the workers when they disembark.
The mayor of Surfside, Charles Burkert, said that the Israeli Homeland Defense Command Team and the rescue team from Mexico also joined the search and rescue operation.
In a meeting with relatives of people who are still missing on Sunday, Burkert said that one of the relatives asked the Israeli team if they thought the Miami-Dade rescuers “have been doing the right thing.”
“The commander of the Israeli team turned around without hesitation and said,’They have been doing the right thing,’” Burkert said.
Burkert added that residents of the tower adjacent to the collapsed tower have been evacuated and checked into the hotel. He said residents of the nearby Champlain Tower North Building can also choose to evacuate.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Deanne Criswell is also in Surfside, providing assistance and temporary housing to residents of the complex.
Creswell said: “On behalf of the President, we express our sympathy to all the families and relatives affected by this tragic event.”
“At this time of great need, the number of volunteers that have emerged, the number of non-profit organizations, and community members really come together to help this community,” Creswell said. “FEMA will be here to help. As the response continues and we enter the recovery work, we will be here to provide any resources that may be needed.”
The disaster also affected the neighbouring Miami Beach community, which declared a state of emergency on Sunday.
The City of Miami Beach wrote in a press release: “A large part of the emergency response is being carried out in Miami Beach, including the use of city streets, property and other facilities as search and rescue command centers.” The statement will ensure that the city is eligible for Federal reimbursement of emergency-related expenses.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation. Officials said that at the time of the collapse, the building was undergoing renovation and roofing work.
The 2018 structural site survey report released by Surfside City found that the concrete structural slabs had suffered major structural damage and that part of the tower’s waterproof function had failed.
According to a former resident, ABC News learned that a Surfside official told Champlain Tanan residents that the building was “in good condition,” which contradicted the report. NPR first reported the official’s comments to the residents.
In response to the NPR report, the Surfside town commissioner told ABC News: “Of course, [the town building inspector in 2018]’s interpretation of the report was misleading.”
“Maybe [the inspector] really believed what he said,” Commissioner Eliana Salzhall told ABC News. “I don’t want to believe that some people will spare no effort to mislead someone.”
The chairman of the Miami-Dade County Committee, Jose Diaz, promised on Sunday that officials would look at what happened “from every aspect.”
“When I said that this is something we must be sure of now, I am very serious,” Diaz told ABC News. “There are a lot of old buildings (in Miami Dade) and we have to see what actually happened.”