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.
Images from Miami
Words don’t do justice to the scale of destruction and tragedy from the Miami apartment collapse. These images show the full scope of the past 24 hours of disaster and recovery.
Researcher says Florida building was sinking into ground for decades
The Florida building that partially collapsed had been sinking into the ground since the 1990s, according to a 2020 study.
“I looked at it this morning and said, ‘Oh my god. We did detect that,'” Shimon Wdowinski, a professor at Florida International University who conducted the study, told USA Today. The study found that the Champlain Towers South had been sinking at a rate of about 2mm a year in the 1990s.
However, Wdowinski said he didn’t think anyone in the city or state government would have been aware of the study. It focused on flooding hazards, and only mentioned the building once, according to USA Today.
‘The building is literally pancaked’: Surfside mayor describes damage
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told Associated Press the “building is literally pancaked”.
“That is heartbreaking because it doesn’t mean, to me, that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive,” he said.
Relatives of Paraguay’s first lady among those missing in Miami collapse
Relatives of Paraguay’s first lady Silvana Abdo are among those missing after the Miami apartment collapse.
Six people from the country are missing, and they include the first lady's sister Sophia López Moreira, according to Paraguayan authorities. The first lady is now planning to travel to Miami today.
Rescue efforts to continue throughout night
Florida fire marshal Jimmy Patronis told WPLG Miami that rescue crews would not stop “just because of nightfall”
“They just may have a different path they pursue,” he said.
“There’s all those what-ifs,” he added, describing a bunk bed near the now-exposed top of the building. “Somebody was probably sleeping in it,” he said.
22 South Americans among missing
A total of 22 South Americans were missing in the collapse — nine from Argentina, six from Paraguay, four from Venezuela and three from Uruguay, according to officials in those countries quoted by The Associated Press.
Nicholas Fernandez, of Miami, told the news wire she spent hours trying to call two Argentian friends who were staying in the building with their young daughter after fleeing the Covid-19 outbreak in Latin America.
“The hope is that, perhaps, someone hears the call. I know there are dogs inside,” he said. “I know it may sound ridiculous what I’m saying but there’s always hope until we hear different.”
Miami building was about to begin repairs
The Miami apartment building that partially collapsed was about to begin corrosion repairs, according to an attorney.
Kenneth S Direktor, a lawyer who represents a resident-led association operating the building, told The New York Times that an engineering review found the need for repairs so the building, built in the 1980s, could meet structural standards for a recertification process.
He, however, said that there is no evidence that the collapse was linked to the issues identified in the review.
Pregnant British mother, husband and daughter thought to be among missing
A pregnant British mother, her husband and their one-year-old daughter are all believed to be among those who still remain unaccounted for since the collapse.
Bhavna and Vishal Patel, along with daughter Aishani were staying at the Champlain Towers South building when it crumbled to the ground on Thursday, according to a member of their family.
Pleas have been made to help locate the family as one person has been confirmed dead. The true toll is however thought to be much higher.
Nicolette Brent, the UK’s Consul General in Miami visited the family reunification centre in Surfside on Thursday evening and said her team was “ready to help any British nationals who may have been involved in this tragic incident.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the UK in America said: “We are working with the local authorities in Miami-Dade county to establish if any British nationals have been involved in the residential building collapse that took place earlier today,” reported The Telegraph.
Argentineans, South Americans and Russians among missing
The Champlain Towers South attracted visitors from around the globe to enjoy South Florida’s Atlantic Coast.
Among those missing are a couple from Argentina and their young daughter, a Miami-area teacher and his wife, Orthodox Jews from Russia, South Americans and the sister of Paraguay’s first lady.
It appears 20 citizens of Israel, 10 from Argentina, six from Paraguay, six from Colombia and four from Venezuela are missing, according to diplomats and news reports from those countries.
One of five synagogues within walking distance of the tower, released a list saying that 10 of its members had vanished in the building collapse.
As yet, only one person has been confirmed dead although almost 100 people are missing. Officials fear that this number could dramatically increase in the coming days.
“These are very difficult times, and things are going to get more difficult as we move forward,” Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said.
Relatives of Paraguay’s First Lady among dozens of people missing after Florida building collapse
Five relatives of Paraguay’s First Lady, including her sister, are among the dozens of people still missing in Florida, after a beachfront condo outside Miami partially collapsed on Thursday, killing at least one person.
Paraguay’s foreign minister Euclides Acevedo told local media that President Mario Abdo and his wife Silvana are awaiting more information on six missing people, including a staff member. They were believed to be in the 12-storey condo, a part of which came down overnight.
In an interview with a local radio channel, Mr Acevedo identified the members as Sophia López Moreira, her husband Luis Pettengill, her three children and the family’s assistant, identified as Lady Luna.
Stuti Mishra has more:
Relatives of Paraguay’s First Lady among dozens of people missing after Florida building collapse
Paraguay’s president has cancelled all his activities, as the first lady plans to visit Miami
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