With the coronavirus pandemic still raging across the globe, it would be too much to have to deal with other disasters at the same time.
But the universe is a cruel, callous place, and residents of a city in Florida now have another reason to worry about the safety of their loved ones.
1 Dead, 99 Unaccounted For in Miami Building Collapse
A 12-story condominium building near Miami Beach in Florida partially collapsed early on Thursday (24 Jun), reducing a large portion of it to rubble.
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At least one person has died, but there are fears that the death toll is much higher. 99 others are also unaccounted for.
The block, which was built in 1981, had more than 130 units inside. Around 55 apartments were affected by the collapse.
Around 18 Latin American nationals are known to be among the missing. They include three Uruguayans, nine Argentines, and six Paraguayans.
Officials have stressed that it is unclear how many residents were actually inside their apartments during the overnight collapse.
Some, however, are bracing for the bad news.
35 Rescued
Rescue teams have been combing through the rubble looking for survivors or worse ever since.
One fire official said 35 people were rescued from the building.
In one instance, rescuers saved a mother and child from the rubble, but the woman’s leg had to be amputated so she could be removed.
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WATCH: A boy was pulled from rubble by firefighters after a deadly partial building collapse in Surfside, Florida. https://t.co/2vhimJhZ4F pic.twitter.com/ixmDWmL1gM
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 24, 2021
Videos of the collapsed building also made their way online:
#BREAKING: Video from a guest who was staying at a hotel across from that building collapse in Surfside, Florida near Miami Beach. @TND pic.twitter.com/FylD7Tin9P
— Antwan Harris (@aharrisTV) June 24, 2021
So a building next to my hotel collapsed in Miami Beach during the middle of the night. pic.twitter.com/qLhlhRnP1X
— Jamal Akakpo 🇬🇠(@AkakpoJamal) June 24, 2021
In addition to rescue dogs, search crews are using sonar equipment to detect any movements under the piles of concrete and cables.
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Ray Jadallah, assistant fire chief of Miami-Dade Fire & Rescue, said they detected what sound like “banging” at one point.
What makes this rescue mission particularly complex is that some of the debris includes broken water pipes and flooded areas, which could make it more difficult for those trapped under the rubble to survive.
Their rescue efforts even caused a small fire to start. It has since been extinguished.
Cause of Collapse Unknown
As for what caused the collapse, the authorities cannot be sure at the moment.
Roof work had been ongoing at the building over the past month but it’s unclear if this contributed or caused the collapse.
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It turns out that the 40-year-old building was undergoing inspection at the time, as Florida requires all buildings and properties to be inspected every 40 years.
Miami-Dade County officials were in the process of inspecting the building before its collapse, USA Today reported.
Let’s hope that no more casualties are found, and that the residents are safe.
Featured Image: Twitter (Jamal Akakpo; Antwan Harris)
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