Miami building collapse: No more survivors found overnight as fire hinders rescue efforts
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
Miami building collapse: Condo was sinking for decades and undergoing inspection, researchers say
The 12-storey Champlain Towers South building in Miami-Dade County that collapsed early Thursday was reportedly sinking at an alarming rate for decades, according to researchers.
A part of the condo, which was constructed in 1981, was reduced to rubble as it collapsed in Surfside, a beachside town. At least one person is confirmed dead and nearly 100 people are missing, according to officials, while several of the injured have been pulled out from under debris.
The building had been sinking at a rate of about 2 millimetres a year in the 1990s, according to a study conducted by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor at Florida International University in 2020.
Shweta Sharma reports:
Florida condo was sinking for decades and undergoing structural inspection, researchers say
The building had been sinking at a rate of about 2 millimetres a year in the 1990s
Death toll reaches three, reports ABC News
The number of people who have died in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Miami has risen to three.
This is according to a report from ABC News who cited a Miami-Dade County official.
Rescuers are continuing their search for the nearly 100 people who remain unaccounted for since the collapse.
Rescue crew have worked on disasters in Mexico and Haiti
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crew that is responding to the partially collapsed Champlain Tower South are very well trained and have previously responded to disasters in Mexico and Haiti.
The Fire Rescue crew are working together with structural engineers to shore up the building, as well as creating tunnels in an attempt to enter the building and rescue people still alive, reported CNN.
The work is “slow and painstaking” said CNN’s Rosa Flores with a “lot of challenges.”
At points in the search and rescue operation crews also perform an “all stop” to listen for any signs of life.
Israel ‘prays for safety of those injured'
The prime minister of Israel has tweeted this about the collapse:
Death toll rises to four
Miami-Dade’s mayor said the death toll from the collapse has risen to four.
She said 102 people have been accounted for. Scores are still missing, and four confirmed dead.
The mayor told media she is “very hopeful” about finding more survivors.
Watch her interview on the collapse here:
Pregant British mother among missing
A pregnant British mother and her family are among 99 people missing after the 12-storey oceanfront apartment block collapsed north of Miami.
Bhavna Patel, 38, a duel British and US citizen, is missing along with her 41-year-old husband Vishal and their one-year-old daughter Aishani, a friend has said.
Samuel Osbourne reports:
Pregnant British mother, her husband and their one-year-old daughter among missing in Miami building collapse
‘They were angels, and now maybe God has come to reclaim his angels’, friend of family says
Live footage from scene of collapse
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing after the Surfside building collapse which left at least four dead, with scores still missing.
You can watch live footage of what is happening at the scene on Independent TV:
Watch: Live scenes of Florida building collapse as rescue efforts continue
Search and rescue efforts are continuing in Florida after an apartment complex collapsed overnight on Thursday, with authorities warning that the number of people missing after the building fell - currently estimated to be “at least” 99 - could increase. 35 people have been rescued from the building in the beachside town of Southside, located 6 miles (9.6km) north of Miami, while ABC News reports that the death toll has risen to three. It’s thought a pregnant British woman, along with her husband and one-year-old daughter, are among those missing following the collapse.
Number of people unaccounted for rises to 159
The number of people unaccounted for has risen to 159 said Florida Miami-Dade county mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, speaking in a press briefing.
A further 120 are accounted for while four people have been pronounced dead following the building collapse.
“Unfortunately, this has been a tragic night. We do have 120 people now accounted for, which is very, very good news. But our unaccounted for number has gone up to 159. In addition, we can tragically report the death count is now four,” the mayor said.
“I want to be very clear about the numbers. They are very fluid. We’ll continue to update you as we have them ... The search and rescue team worked throughout the night, and it was a very active scene,” she added.
Search and rescue to be continued, says mayor
“We will continue search and rescue, because we still have hope we will find people alive,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a press conference.
Search and rescue efforts shift to rubble
The search and rescue efforts have now all shifted to the rubble, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue chief said
Ray Jadallah explained: “The entire building — the portion that’s still standing — was cleared by rescue crews. So at this point now, all resources have been shifted to the rubble, including from above and from below.”
Meanwhile, President Biden has approved an emergency declaration in the state of Florida and has ordered federal assistance to help supplement both state and local response efforts.
“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.
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