A condo building collapse in Miami has left 11 dead and at least 150 people missing or unaccounted for after five days of search efforts.
The partial collapse of Champlain Towers South happened early Thursday morning and saw 55 condo units crumble, leaving large piles of rubble on the ground and structural damage as high as 12 stories up. President Joe Biden authorized the efforts of FEMA and has declared a state of emergency for Florida.
Pres. Biden also approved federal aid for Florida to assist in the efforts of locating the missing individuals. They also plan to use funds to help reunite people with their loved ones. “Our heart goes out to them,” Biden noted.
Search and rescue efforts have been ongoing since Thursday morning. Officials say that while as many as 35 people have been rescued and remain hopeful the number will increase, no additional survivors have been located in the rubble thus far. “It’s going to take time, it’s not going to happen overnight,” Chief Jadallah of the Miami-Dade Fire Department said.
The missing people range from children to the elderly. The search has proven problematic at times, with constant blazes hindering the search efforts. This, paired with the structural integrity being compromised due to the weight of the water used to fight the blazes, has made the search more difficult than expected.
The heavy rains as of late have hindered search efforts as well. The added weight of the rainwater could prove problematic as it increases the chance for additional collapses, putting search teams in danger. The rain does not show any sign of letting up either. “We’re looking at 70-80 percent chance of rain for the rest of the week,” said meteorologist Larry Kelly.
At the moment, it is unclear the sure cause of the collapse but officials are working to get to the bottom of it. It is believed the collapse was progressive- meaning small failures in the foundation over time contributed to the collapse. Video analysis shows possible initial failure at the lowest part of the complex, near the parking garage.
An engineering team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology was sent to investigate the cause and circumstances. This may lead to a broader investigation of building codes and standards for other buildings in the area. Pres. Biden has also expressed support for an expansive investigation of the incident, willing to go so far as to include the F.B.I.
In 2018, an email exchange was exchanged between the Champlain South condo board and a contractor that discusses major structural damage to the building. Some of the damage including crumbling concrete and cracked support columns needed immediate repairs and the board was urged to do so. The board would take out a loan for $12 million, but repairs had not been done as of Thursday. However, it is not yet clear whether or not that damage was truly an agent in the partial collapse.
Despite finding major structural damage, the building was deemed safe by Surfside building official Ross Prieto. Champlain Towers South resident Susana Alvarez says she was at the board meeting in which this was discussed. “We sat there with the town of Surfside,” said Alvarez. “And the town of Surfside said to us that the building was not in bad shape.”
Search efforts and investigations continue to be ongoing at this time.
Kris Johnson
Intern