After partial collapse of the residential tower: the number of dead near Miami rises to nine

After the partial collapse of a high-rise building in Florida, the emergency services recovered another fatality. This increases the number of deaths to nine. The reason for the collapse is still unclear.

After the partial collapse of a twelve-story apartment building in the US state of Florida, more fatalities were found in the rubble. The number of deaths had risen to nine, said the mayor of the Miami-Dade district, Daniella Levine Cava, at the accident site in Surfside near Miami. The police had released the names of four fatalities over the weekend who had already been found on Thursday and Friday.

Experts fear that the number is likely to increase significantly. According to Levine Cava, 156 people were last missing. The building near the beach with around 130 residential units had partially collapsed on Thursday night. The misfortune surprised people in their sleep. Since then, a desperate search for possible survivors has been going on.

In action around the clock

Rescue teams are on duty around the clock – with sniffer dogs, special cameras, listening instruments and heavy equipment. The authorities had previously emphasized that the missing people did not necessarily all have to have been in the building. It is a list of people who could potentially have been in the house at the time of the accident. Many families fear for their loved ones.

The rescue workers are supported by experts from Mexico and Israel. Many members of the large Surfside Jewish community were among those affected by the accident – Israel had therefore quickly promised help. According to the Israeli minister responsible for the diaspora, Nachman Shai, one of the most experienced rescue teams has been sent to Florida, which has already carried out similar missions around the world.

Missing people from Latin America and Canada

The four identified victims are a 79 and 83 year old married couple, the 54 year old mother of a 15 year old boy and a 54 year old man. At least 18 of the missing are from Latin America, including Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. Canada spoke of at least four “affected” Canadians without explaining this.

People laid flowers and lit candles at a makeshift memorial on a nearby street. Relatives hung pictures of the missing on a fence.

“Major structural damage”

According to media reports, the building near Surfside Beach was built in 1981. According to the authorities, it is unclear why the building partially collapsed. A report published by the city of Surfside in 2018 found “major structural damage” as well as cracks and crumbling in the basement of the building. Accordingly, the expert Frank Morabito called for the damage to be repaired promptly. Most of the damage was “likely caused by years of exposure to the corrosive salt air on the South Florida coast,” the report said at the time. Without rework, “the extent of concrete deterioration will expand exponentially”.

According to US media, a resident has already filed a class action lawsuit against the building’s owners seeking compensation for the victims. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the evacuation of a nearby similar building is being considered. But there is no evidence of imminent danger.