Miami building collapse: No more survivors found overnight as fire hinders rescue efforts
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There has been no update to the number of survivors from the Miami building collapse overnight on Friday, officials said.
Rescue teams were still working to locate 159 unaccounted for people after the 12-storey Champlain Towers South building fell on Thursday. Four people have been confirmed dead.
One problem impacting the search efforts was a fire that’s burning deep within the rubble from the collapse.
Authorities were now working to locate the source of the fire, or fires, while also finding ways to still search for any possible survivors.
More fatalities are expected as authorities warned the number of missing from the collapsed apartment complex in Florida could increase from the current figure of 159.
Meanwhile, a researcher at Florida International University has revealed that the building had been sinking into the ground since the 1990s.
Firefighters rescued 35 people from the Champlain Tower South building that collapsed in the middle of the night on Thursday in Surfside, a beachside town just 6 miles (9.6 km) north of Miami.
Those with family members who may have been in the building at the time of its collapse are asked to call 305-614-1819. More information here.
Relatives and families wait for news
As rescuers continue to investigate the wreckage of Champlain Tower South, families and relatives are gathering at the reunification centre to await further news.
Images from the centre, which was reportedly visited by Florida governor Ron DeSantis earlier, show friends and family embracing.
Officials are telling relatives to call 305-614-1819 to report a missing person from Champlain Tower.
In the image below, Luz Marina holds a picture of her aunt, Marina Azen, who she said is missing in the rubble of the building.
Joe Biden’s response to Miami condo collapse makes no mention of victims or their families
In what may be a first for any politician, the president didn’t take the opportunity to the usual “thoughts and prayers” for the victims of the Miami condo collapse when asked about his response to the tragedy.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference on infrastructure, Joe Biden spoke at length about how the federal government was poised to help and the White House discussions with local politicians.
But there was no expression of sympathy or empathy for the victims or their families, which is in stark contrast to his outpouring of compassion over the past year – on which much of his presidential campaign was built (ie: bringing back the soul of America).
Read his full response below:
“I’ve spoken with, coincidentally the mayor of Miami-Dade was in my office yesterday. And I talked to her today, not about that obviously, and so I had a long discussion with her today, I’ve also spoken with, we’ve been in contact with the Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz who has that district, we’ve gotten in touch with FEMA, they’re ready to go, the Governor’s going to have to, we can’t, they’re down inspecting what they think is needed, but I’m waiting for the governor to ask for declare an emergency, if and especially if we learn more about what the rest might happen to the rest of the building.
“So we are on top of it, we are ready to move from the federal resources immediately, immediately, if in fact we’re asked for it, but we can’t go in and do it, now but the FEMA is down there, taking a look at what’s needed, and including from everything from if the rest of those buildings have to be evacuated as well, finding housing for those people, making sure they have capacity to both have a place to, to shelter and food to eat, etcetera.
“So that’s underway now, and my chief of staff has been deeply involved from this from the very beginning, we’ve got the cabinet involved in it now in terms of dealing with FEMA, we’re working on it, and I made it clear, I say to the people of Florida, whatever help you want the federal government can provide, we’re waiting, just ask us we’ll be there. We’ll be there.”
BREAKING: Miami building collapse: Police say 99 people still unaccounted for in Florida
Police say that 99 people are still unaccounted for after a condo building partially collapsed in Florida, killing at least one person.
Rescuers brought 35 people out alive from the collapsed 12-storey building in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, where 55 of the building’s 136 units were destroyed.
Miami-Dade Police say that they have accounted for 53 people but are still working on confirming the whereabouts of the remaining residents.
Officials say that the number of unaccounted for people does not mean that they were all in the building at the time, as a number of the units are owned by vacationers.
“They are unaccounted for because they have not been heard from or have not called family or friends to say they are okay,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman.
Graeme Massie is following the latest from the missing.
Police say 99 people still unaccounted for in Miami building collapse
Police say that 99 people are still unaccounted for after a condo building partially collapsed in Florida, killing at least one person.
Police to hold media briefing shortly
Miami-Dade Police will hold a briefing to update on the Surfside Building Collapse in 10 minutes.
Stay locked for updates.
Miami mayor calls in Florida governor to declare state of emergency
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has asked governor Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency for the Surfside building collapse, according to CBS Miami.
She said the declaration was critical so “the federal government can allocate resources we desperately need”.
At a press conference earlier, Joe Biden said he was waiting for Florida to request help from the federal government.
“We’ve gotten in touch with FEMA, they’re ready to go, the Governor’s going to have to, we can’t, they’re down inspecting what they think is needed, but I’m waiting for the governor to ask for declare an emergency,” Biden said.
“We’re working on it, and I made it clear, I say to the people of Florida, whatever help you want the federal government can provide, we’re waiting, just ask us we’ll be there. We’ll be there,” he added.
Police briefing delayed
The latest updates will now be delivered at 4:30pm.
Ron DeSantis embraces couple with missing family
The Florida governor had a touching moment with a couple that has five family members still missing in the Miami building collapse.
Vial Wink News reporter Michael Hudak.
Kamala Harris had to remind Joe Biden to address Florida building collapse
As Joe Biden ended his press conference on infrastructure earlier today, his vice president had to stop him to address reporters shouting questions about the Miami building collapse.
Biden had earlier said he would address the building collapse after fielding a question on infrastructure, but after the extended response he left the podium without circling back to the question.
As reporters shouted out to address the tragedy, Harris whispered something in the president’s ear that looked like “Florida” before Biden returned to the podium to respond.
“Oh yes, I apologize, yes, thank you,” he said, seeming to laugh before saying under his breath: “My vice president.”
102 people accounted for and 99 missing, says Miami mayor
The mayor and police are holding a live press conference where they confirmed 102 people have been accounted.
“We still have at least 99 who are unaccounted for,” Miami-Dade’s mayor, Daniella Levine Cava said.
She just signed an emergency order and says Florida governor Ron DeSantis also has an emergency order on his desk, that would open federal government support through FEMA.
Search and rescue crews tunnel in from the underground garage
Assistant chief of operations Ray Jadallah says an underground parking garage has given firefighters access to tunnel to different floors in their search and rescue efforts.
About 60 to 70 firefighters at a time are beneath the parking garage, with sonar and K9 dog search of the rubble unable to locate “voids” for crews to operate in to start searching.
“This process is slow and methodical,” he said, describing how a shift in the rubble caused a small fire that needed to be extinguished before resuming search operations.
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