Another fatality was found in the rubble after the partial collapse of a twelve-story apartment building in the US state of Florida. The number of identified dead has risen to five, said the mayor of the Miami-Dade district, Daniella Levine Cava, on Saturday evening (local time) at the accident site in Surfside near Miami. The search forces also found other unidentified “human remains”, she said, without being specific. Identification is not easy. DNA tests would be used here. The number of missing people is currently 156.
The building near the beach with around 130 residential units had partially collapsed on Thursday night. The misfortune surprised people in their sleep. Some residents were able to take the stairs to safety or were rescued from balconies.
Since then, a desperate search for survivors has been going on. Most recently, a fire in the rubble made the search more difficult. However, Levine Cava said Saturday night that during the day rescue workers had made progress in fighting the fire.
Possible Canadian victims
According to Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, many of the missing come from abroad, including Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Canada stated that at least four Canadians could also be “affected”.
Several people were injured in the accident. More than 35 people have been rescued so far.
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 on Friday from 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. (AFP / SDA / kes)
Published: 06/27/2021, 27 minutes ago
Last updated: 27.06.2021, 22 minutes ago