An aura of fear and hope surrounds the families and friends of the 159 people that are missing post the collapse of a condo building in a Miami suburb on Friday. Rescue workers navigating through debris and rubble have found four dead so far.
Maimi- Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters on Friday that the crews have managed to pull out three more bodies from the wreckage over the course of the night after one person was reported to have died on Thursday. Officials have increased the number of presumedly missing personnel from the previously reported 99 missing.
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A large part of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside crumbled to the ground, authorities said. Video footage of the collapse shows the entire portion of the building folding into two, at about 1:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Crowds of people gathered at a reunification site at the Surfside Community Center on Friday. The area filled with frenzy as volunteers moving about and people consoling each other.
Dozens of people were gathered at a reunification site at the Surfside Community Center on Friday, where the scene was hectic with volunteers running around and people hugging to console each other.
Paraguay’s first lady Silvano Lopez Moreira was seen amongst the families searching and praying for their missing loves ones, having travelled to Florida because of her sister. According to the local media, the first lady’s family owned a condo in the building.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said on Friday that rescuers had heard sounds in the rubble overnight, which could either be falling debris or people tapping. A fire official that 35 people were evacuated from the section of the condo building that was still left standing, and a response team using the aide of trained dogs and drones pulled two individuals from under the rubble, one of them was later discovered to have died.
U.S President Joe Biden has approved the declaration of emergency in the state of Florida and has ordered that the state and local efforts be accompanied by federal assistance.
“The president’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts,” the White House said on Friday.