AT least four people are dead after a 12-story apartment block partially collapsed near Miami beach, reports say.
Witnesses reportedly heard screams from the rubble as around 80 emergency crews responded to the incident in Surfside around 2am on Thursday.
“People with loved ones still inside are telling me this is like Ground Zero," one reporter said, comparing the building's collapse to the September 11 terror attacks.
Officials confirmed on Friday that 159 people were still unaccounted for and 120 people have been found. The number of deaths has risen to four.
Footage shows a large section of the apartment building, called Champlain Towers South, that had collapsed into a pile of rubble near Collins Avenue on 88th Street, NBC Miami reports.
Authorities said they could hear "sounds of a possibility of people banging...well, not people banging but sounds of a possibility of a banging" from within the site.
It's reported that Miami Dade authorities have declared a "Level 5" mass casualty event meaning statewide emergency resources are required.
Read of Miami Beach apartment collapse live blog for the latest news and updates...
FIRE RESUCE HEARD SOUNDS UNDER RUBBLE
Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Ray Jadallah said they heard sounds from under the rubble and that "all operations are occurring underneath" it.
“They are occurring underneath the parking garage where we have teams of firefighters constantly as they continue making cuts, breaches and placing sonar devices, search cams to locate victims," he said.
“We did receive sounds. Not necessarily people talking, but sounds. What sounds like people banging, not people but sounds of a possibility of a banging. We haven’t heard any voices coming from the pile.”
MAYOR DIDN'T REALIZE THE 'SEVERITY' OF THE SITUATION
Surfside mayor Charles Burkett admitted he didn’t realize the “severity” of the situation when he was first notified about the incident, CBS reports.
He told reporters: “I thought a balcony had come down, to tell you the truth.
"I came out and when I saw what I saw, it was just heartbreaking. It’s like a bomb went off."
MOM BROKE PELVIS RESCUING DAUGHTER FROM BUILDING
Angela Gonzalez and Devon, 16, fell from the ninth floor to the fifth floor as the condo collapsed at 1:30am on Thursday.
The mom broke her pelvis but managed to rescue her daughter from the debris, CBS reports.
Both were taken to a medical facility for treatment.
But, Edgar Gonzalez, Angela’s husband, and Devon’s dad, still remains unaccounted for and is one of the 159 said to be missing.
STUDY SHOWS BUILDING WAS SINKING SINCE 90'S
According to a recent study, the building, which was built in 1981, has been sinking at an 'alarming rate' since the 1990s.
Matthys Levy, a consulting engineer, professor at Columbia University, told USA Today: "Had there been changes in the building? Cracks in the walls, in the floor? Floors not being level, things rolling off tables?”
PRESIDENT OF PARAGUAY'S SISTER IN LAW AND FAMILY AMONG MISSING
The president of Paraguay's sister-in-law, Sophia López Moreira, her husband Luis Pettengill and their three young children, are among those missing following the condo's collapse.
The family was said to have gotten their Covid vaccines hours before the collapse, which also occurred on Luis' birthday.
Another woman from Paraguay, Lady Luna Villalba, is also among the missing.
RESIDENT THOUGHT THEY WERE HAVING A THUNDERSTORM
“I woke up and thought we’re just having a bad thunderstorm,” Alfredo, 61 told the Miami Herald when the sound of the crash woke him up.
MAP REVEALS OTHER MIAMI BUILDINGS WITH GAPS
Now a map, first published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, details other nearby areas where the land is sinking amid coastal flooding.
The study shows an area surrounding Park View Island is sinking at a rate of 2.3mm a year.
Sites in the Flamingo/Lummus area of South Beach and North Bay Village are also sinking, the map details.
At least four people are dead and 159 people are unaccounted for following the building collapse in the early hours of Thursday morning.
CONDON BUILT ON WETLANDS
The 12-story apartment was built on wetlands and underneath its foundation is sand and organic fill, The Washington Post reports.
It was situated on a barrier island that had risen about a foot in the past century due to climate change.
But, experts think it’s too early to say whether climate change caused the condo to destabilize.
OTHER MIAMI PROPERTIES FOUND TO BE UNSTABLE
Now a map, first published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, details other nearby areas where the land is sinking amid coastal flooding.
The study shows an area surrounding Park View Island is sinking at a rate of 2.3mm a year.
Sites in the Flamingo/Lummus area of South Beach and North Bay Village are also sinking, the map details.
BUILDING HAS BEEN SINKING AT AN 'ALARMING RATE'
According to the study, the building, which was built in 1981, has been sinking at an "alarming rate" since the 1990s.
Matthys Levy, a consulting engineer, professor at Columbia University, told USA Today: "Had there been changes in the building? Cracks in the walls, in the floor? Floors not being level, things rolling off tables?”
PRESIDENT OF PARAGUAY'S FAMILY AMONG MISSING FOLLOWING CONDO COLLAPSE
PLASTIC SURGEON AND WIFE AMONG 159 MISSING
Plastic surgeon Andres Galfrasconi along with his partner Fabian Nunez, 55, were traveling to Florida with their six year old daughter Sofia for their Covid vaccine.
They are among the 159 missing following the condo's collapse.
DID CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSE THE BUILDING'S COLLAPSE?
The 12-story apartment was built on wetlands and underneath its foundation is sand and organic fill, The Washington Post reports.
It was situated on a barrier island that had risen about a foot in the past century due to climate change.
But, experts think it’s too early to say whether climate change caused the condo to destabilize.
Communities in Miami have experienced up to 12 inches of sea-level rise over the past century.
FOUR FOUND DEAD
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami confirmed at a press briefing on the collapse of the Champlain Tower that 120 people have now been accounted for, 159 are still missing, and four are dead.
STUDY FOUND CONDO 'UNSTABLE'
A 2020 study by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environment, determined the condo building to be unstable, USA Today reported.
According to the study, the building, which was built in 1981, has been sinking at an "alarming rate" since the 1990s.
When Wdowinski learned of the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse, he immediately remembered the building from the study.
SEVERAL LARGE ROADS NEARBY CLOSED DOWN FOLLOWING CONDO COLLAPSE
The Miami-Dade Police tweeted out that several roads have remained closed due to the collapse of the condo.
"Collins Ave, Harding Ave & Northbound lanes on Byron Ave from 85th to 90th Street have been temporarily closed due to the #SurfsideBuildingCollapse," the tweet reads.
RESCUE TEAMS DRILL THROUGH CONCRETE FOR SURVIVORS
Rescue teams with the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were seen drilling through concrete under the collapsed Champlain Towers, in a video shared to Twitter, which obtained at least 177,000 as of 11.30pm on Thursday.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue shared the footage in a tweet that read: "#MDFR #TRT & #FLTF1 are working in the basement parking garage at Champlain Towers.
"Firefighters continue working on locating possible victims, while dealing with heavy damage and changing conditions in the parking garage. #SurfsideBuildingCollapse"
HOW MANY HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD?
Officials confirmed three bodies had been pulled from the rubble overnight but said every time they hear sound, rescue teams "concentrate resources" in an area.
A fire reignited during the night but didn't prevent search and rescue operations from carrying on.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Ray Jadallah told reporters on Friday that crews heard sounds in the rubble overnight.
He said: “We are listening for sounds, human sounds and tapping.”
FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS 37 WERE PULLED FROM RUBBLE
The fire department said this evening that out of the 37 pulled from the rubble and out of the 11 people injured, four patients were "transported," adding that they were placing solar devices and cameras to locate victims.
Firefighters heard banging under the rubble but not distinguishable voices as the wreckage probe continues.
Engineers will be determining what caused the disaster when the search and rescue effort concludes.
DESANTIS SAYS MIAMI-DADE WILL RECEIVE FEMA AID
Florida Gov. RonDeSantis says Miami-Dade will receive federal funds following the collapse of a 12-story apartment block on Thursday.
A state of emergency was declared on Thursday which allowed Biden to approve the emergency funding in the early hours, NPR reports.
The Republican said on Friday that he’s spoke with FEMA director Deanne Criswell.
He said: “They were great. They have supported some emergency assistance.”
DESPERATE SEARCH
Luis Andres Bermudez and his mother Ana Ortiz are among scores of people missing.
The 26-year-old reportedly suffers from muscular dystrophy and cannot walk or call for help, a family member told CBS.
A portion of Champlain Towers South collapsed at 1:30am on Thursday, prompting a search and rescue operation.
Officials on Friday morning confirmed at least four people are dead.
Credit: Family Handout
HOME CAM CAPTURES MOMENT APARTMENT COLLAPSED
HOME camera footage reveals the Miami Beach apartment collapsing in the early hours of Thursday morning – and it's since emerged that the roof was under construction for a month.
A Twitter user called Rosie Santana posted the shocking video after it emerged that the disaster killed at least four people and injured dozens.
"I am a resident of one of the condos on the side of the collapse," Santana wrote at 3.56am ET.
"This is a video from my camera footage inside from the start of the collapse until the lose of connection (I was away from the building today). Towards the end, you hear the structure failing."
Debris can be seen falling from the ceiling during the 13-second clip before a disturbing groaning sound can be heard as the structure begins to cave in.
The footage then abruptly goes black.
Click HERE to watch.
AT LEAST 27 PEOPLE FROM LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES STILL MISSING
It’s reported that at least 27 people missing following the collapse of the apartment block in Miami came from Latin American countries.
Sophia López Moreira Bo – the sister of the First Lady of Paraguay – her husband and three children are reported missing.
Relatives of Luis Barth said he was visiting from Colombia and stayed at a condo with his wife and daughter, according to the Miami Herald.
Nine Argentines are also reported to be missing, according to the country’s foreign ministry.
And, three Uruguayans were missing following the incident.
ELDERLY COUPLE 'AMONG THE MISSING'
Elderly couple Myriam Notkin, 81, and her husband Arnie, 87, are reported to be among the missing.
The couple reportedly lived in apartment 302.
North Miami Beach Commissioner Fortuna Smukler, who grew up with the couple's three daughters around 50 years ago, told the Miami Herald: "They're an elderly couple and Arnie wasn't walking well.
"At this point it would be a miracle … we’re hoping for a miracle."
'I JUST WANT MY MOM'
Judy Spiegel - a 65-year-old mom and grandmother - is among those feared to be missing.
Speaking to CBS, her daughter said: "I just want my mom. I want to go back a day and change everything.”
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN1bi5jby51ay9uZXdzLzE1MzgwNDIwL21pYW1pLWJ1aWxkaW5nLWNvbGxhcHNlLWxhdGVzdC11cGRhdGVzLXZpZGVvL9IBAA?oc=5
2021-06-25 19:31:00Z
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