Miami Beach declares state of emergency after deadly apartment building collapse as search for survivors still underway
MIAMI Beach declared a state of emergency on Sunday after last week’s deadly apartment building collapse killed nine as the search for survivors continues.
More than 150 people are still unaccounted for after the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside collapsed at around 1.30am last Thursday morning.
Neighboring city Miami Beach declared its own state of emergency on Sunday following similar declarations from Miami-Dade County and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis.
President Joe Biden also signed an emergency declaration over the building collapse last week and ordered federal assistance to the area.
The declaration, which was signed by City Manager Alina T. Hudak, will ensure that Miami Beach is recuperated for some of the costs as it has supported emergency services in Surfside.
Local sites and streets have been used as staging areas and command centers, according to CBS Miami.
Miami Beach can now seek federal funding to pay them back for the set-up.
“A significant portion of the staging for the emergency response efforts is taking place within Miami Beach, including use of city streets, property and other facilities for search and rescue command centers,” Miami Beach officials said in a statement posted to Twitter.
“Due to the structure’s close proximity to Miami Beach — immediately north of 87 Terrace — the city has temporarily closed North Beach Oceanside Park and canceled or moved events north of 63 Street, including at the North Beach Bandshell,” it added.
Rescue crews are still continuing to work around the clock to find survivors in the rubble of the 12-story building.
Officials said 130 people were accounted for after the tragedy.
However, the death toll rose from five to nine on Sunday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levin Cava confirmed.
“As of today, one victim passed away in the hospital, and we’ve recovered eight more victims on-site, so I am confirming today that the death toll is at nine,” she said.
Mayor Cava said that efforts are underway to notify the four recovered victims’ next-of-kin.
“We are making every effort to identify those others who have been recovered, and additionally, contacting their family members as soon as we are able,” she said.
Miami authorities are conducting an investigation into the condo collapse, though an official cause behind the devastation has yet to be determined.
After the collapse, Cava said there were “structural” issues and said engineers are working to determine the risk and cause of the tragedy.
The building was built in 1981 and was undergoing roof work for about 30 days before the disaster struck in the early hours of June 24.
A 2018 engineering report done by Morabito Consultants claimed that the building’s “failed waterproofing” was causing “major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas.”
Meanwhile, friends and family of the dozens of people who are still unaccounted for are desperately waiting for answers.
The grief-stricken mom of a 26-year-old woman among the 156 still unaccounted for has blasted Gov Ron DeSantis for “not doing enough”.
“It impossible that in four days nobody has emerged dead or alive,” she said.
“It’s not enough. Imagine if your children were in there.
“My daughter is 26-years-old, in perfect health, she could make it out of there. Four days have gone by.
“Red tape is not important when my daughter is dying,” she added as she claimed that international teams are being prevented from helping with the search.
But DeSantis insisted international crews were not being stopped from aiding rescue efforts.
“The state is not preventing that at all,” he said.
“They’re welcome to come. It’s an operational decision.”
Dr Howard Lieberman, a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trauma surgeon, explained that the trapped survivors may have become less vocal in their pleas.
“As time’s running out they might be getting a little more sick or ill – not as vocal as before – but, like I said, we’re going to keep searching,” he told CNN.
The first victim of the collapse was named Stacie Fang – a mom who helped prop her 15-year-old son from the rubble to safety above.
Most read in News
Another name was released on Saturday was Manuel LaFont, who lived in Apartment No. 801, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Two missing people who were found in the rubble were identified as Antonio and Gladys Lozano, both in their 80s.
The remaining victims have not yet been identified.