Death Toll From Florida Building Collapse Rises To 11, 150 Still Missing

FORBES – Jun 29, 2021, 06:29am EDT

The death toll from the collapse of a multi-story condominium in Surfside, Florida has risen to eleven people, local officials announced on Monday night, leaving 150 residents still unaccounted for, while hopes for finding additional survivors continue to dim.

Search and rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the building’s rubble on Monday as pouring rain continued to hamper search and rescue efforts.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the rescue teams have made significant progress at the site but added that the death toll numbers are “very fluid and they will change.”

Miami-Dade police department on Monday night also identified three more victims who had been recovered from the building previously—Marcus Joseph Guara, 52; Frank Kleiman, 55; and Michael David Altman, 50.

No survivors have been recovered from the building’s wreckage since Thursday, the day when the building collapsed.

More than 300 personnel continue to work at the site, including experts sent by Israel, Mexico and the U.S. Army’s engineer corps. 

CRUCIAL QUOTE

Speaking at a briefing on Monday, Cava said: “We have people waiting and waiting and waiting. That is excruciating.” The mayor added “They are coping with the news that they might not have loved ones come out alive and still hoping that they will. Their loved ones may come out as body parts.”

KEY BACKGROUND

The 12-story Champlain Towers South collapsed suddenly early on Thursday morning. While the cause of the collapse was not immediately clear it has since emerged that a 2018 inspection report of the building warned of “major structural damage,” including “abundant” cracking in the concrete columns, beams and walls of the parking garage. The city of Surfside has begun releasing a series of emails between the engineer who spotted the issues and the condo’s board. The cost of repairs was estimated at $9 million and the board had taken out a $12 million loan for the repairs, but the work had not been done. Surfside Mayor Charles W. Burkett insisted that a thorough investigation into the collapse will take place but added that it was “an issue for another day.” Burkett noted that at present the first priority was searching for survivors and supporting the families of those who have died or gone missing. The White House has sent more than 50 federal officers to Surfside—including people from the FBI, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology—who may end up helming the probe.

SOURCE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/06/29/death-toll-from-florida-building-collapse-rises-to-11-150-still-remain-missing/?sh=46d86c263de3