What we know about the collapse of building in Miami as of July 4: victims, rescue work and the impact of the tragedy
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7 months agoDemolition of the remains of the building in Miami underway
By Tina BurnsideDemolition crews tore down the partially collapsed structure just after 10:30 p.m. (Miami time) on Sunday, July 4.
The remaining structure at the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida has been demolished.
Demolition crews tore down the partially collapsed structure just after 10:30 p.m. (Miami time) on Sunday.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told CNN at a Sunday night briefing that once the area is deemed safe following the building's demolition, search and rescue teams will resume their operations. efforts in the rubble pile.
7 months agoUPDATE - The demolition in Miami will take place between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.
Credit: GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images
Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava said during a press conference Sunday night that the demolition of the remaining portion of Champlain Towers South will take place between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. (Miami time) tonight, and will be carried out using a method called "energetic takedown."
"It's a process that uses small strategically placed explosives and relies on gravity to bring the building down in place," Levine Cava explained.
“The demolition itself is limited to the immediate area around the building, however, there is dust and other particles that are an unavoidable by-product of all types of demolition and, as a precaution, we urge residents in the immediate vicinity to stay inside. during the demolition,” he stated.
Police have already gone door-to-door in the nearby neighborhood, asking residents to stay indoors and shelter-in-place from 7 p.m. (Miami time) until two hours after the completion of the demolition, added the mayor.
Officials began working over the past 48 hours to quickly prepare the structure for demolition "quickly and safely," Levine Cava said.
Due to the temporary pause in search and rescue operations, the figures for this tragedy in Miami remain unchanged as of Sunday night, with 24 confirmed deaths after the collapse on June 24, 191 people accounted for and 121 are still missing, Levine Cava said.
7 months agoThe demolition of Champlain Towers South will take place between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.
Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Miami Dade Police said the demolition of Champlain Towers South will take place tonight between 10:00 p.m. and at 3:00 a.m. (Miami time)
Police urge residents living in the area, between 86th St and 89th St and Abbott Ave and the shoreline, to stay indoors effective immediately.
Police say dust is an unavoidable byproduct of all kinds of demolitions. Authorities indicate that as a precautionary measure, residents should close all windows, doors and air intakes, cover any other openings that may allow dust to enter their apartment, house or building, and turn on the air conditioner so that it returns to circulate.
7 months agoOfficials announce press conference at 6:00 p.m. (Miami time)
By Keith AllenThere will be a press conference at 6:00 p.m. (Miami time) this Sunday in Surfside, according to a tweet from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
During a briefing earlier Sunday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava said the remaining Champlain Towers South condominium building would be demolished as soon as it was safely possible to do so, but offered no a specific time.
7 months agoNo time has been set for demolition of the remaining structure in Miami
By Kay JonesCredit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
There is no specific time to demolish the remaining part of the building in Miami, officials say, but it will happen as soon as possible.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava said during a Sunday morning press conference that the demolition crew began prep work yesterday and returned to the site to prepare for demolition. As soon as it is ready and the site is secure, the demolition will begin, she assured her.
The top priority is to get the building down as soon as possible and in the safest way possible, Levine Cava said, as the team is working as quickly as possible according to their capabilities.
7 months agoReport of confirmed deaths remains at 24, all next of kin have been notified
By Claudia DominguezCredit: GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images
The confirmed death toll from the Champlain Towers South collapse remains the same as indicated by Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, she reported at a press conference Sunday.
“The confirmed death toll remains the same this morning 24, and the 24 next of kin have been notified,” he said.
191 people are counted and 121 are still missing for Levine Cava, he said.
7 months agoMiami search and rescue halted ahead of planned demolition
By Hollie SilvermanCredit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Search and rescue operations have been suspended at the Champlain Towers South collapse site ahead of planned demolition, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a press conference Saturday night.
"There is a threat to the building standing," Levine Cava said, adding that because of that, engineers and the demolition crew have decided to put a temporary pause on search and rescue operations.
Levine Cava did not indicate the timing of the planned demolition.
Search and rescue will start again in the safe parts after they have been cleared, he said.
7 months agoFamily members of 23 of the 24 victims have been notified
By Hollie SilvermanFamily members of 23 of the 24 victims in the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Miami have been notified, the mayor said of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava, during a press conference Saturday night.
The mayor said 191 people are counted, while 121 people are still missing after the collapse.
7 months agoFamily identifies daughter of firefighter who died in Miami tragedy
By Natasha ChenGraciela and Stella Cattarossi. Courtesy of Nicole Mejias
Nicole Mejias said five members of her family were in the Champlain Towers South building when it collapsed.
Mejias told CNN that 7-year-old Stella Cattarossi was found dead in the rubble along with her mother, Graciela Cattarossi. Stella's father is a firefighter for the city of Miami.
Three other family members are still missing: Stella's grandparents, Gino and Graciela Cattarossi, and Stella's aunt, Andrea Cattarossi. Mejías commented that Andrea came from Argentina, where she has three children, and was visiting family. Stella and her mother had been living with Gino and Graciela Cattarossi for about seven years, according to Mejias.
Mejias is Andrea's niece and the younger Graciela, Stella's mother.
“We miss them very much, we wish this tragedy did not happen and we will always remember them,” said Mejías.
7 months agoThere is no exact timeline for the demolition, indicated the mayor of Miami-Dade County
By Claudia DominguezDaniella Levine Cava. Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference Saturday that there is no exact timeline for the demolition of the building that is still standing.
"Engineers are on site and still doing their due diligence, so we don't have an exact time frame at this point," the mayor said.
Levine Cava said that CDI Control Demolition, Inc. would be the company doing the demolition and that that company has done other large demolitions.
Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said the demolition plan was being finalized.
"We'll put them through the site to figure out exactly what process they want," Cominsky said. "It will be a several hour process as far as configuring what needs to happen and then we can get the search and rescue efforts back up."
Cominsky also said that areas that have already been searched will be covered before demolition so that rescue teams can know what was searched and what other new debris that could possibly fall in that direction could be removed.
"These are the difficult challenges and obstacles that we face and the decision that I myself, the mayor, have to make with regard to how we deploy, how we look at things ... has been difficult and challenging," Cominsky said.
More details: Levine Cava said he spoke personally with some surviving family members about the impending demolition, and says the people he has spoken to understand the need to demolish the building ahead of potential severe weather.
7 months agoRemaining part of collapsed building to be demolished, Governor DeSantis says
By Claudia DominguezCredit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the remaining portion of Champlain Towers South would be demolished.
“The building in Surfside that is structurally unsound. I know the mayor, both mayors have supported the demolition of the building,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis was referring to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Mayor Levine Cava said paperwork was ready for demolition to begin.
"I support it and I think it's the right thing to do, at the end of the day, that building is too unsafe to allow people to come back," DeSantis said.
He said he thinks it would be better if the building was torn down before storm [Elsa] hits the area. DeSantis said demolishing the building would protect search and rescue teams. "With these gusts it would potentially create a really big hazard."
DeSantis said the state of Florida would pay all demolition costs.
“Once everything is ready to go, it can be taken down in 36 hours,” DeSantis said. The authorities hope that the demolition of the building will generate a small interruption of the work and a minimal interruption to continue.
DeSantis said the collapse of the Champlain Towers "was a tragedy unlike any we've seen."
The city ordered the Crestview Towners Condominium closed Friday after engineers reported falling concrete.
Governor DeSantis declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Elsa, which was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday morning by the National Hurricane Center. The state of emergency includes Miami Dade County. The storm with sustained winds of 112 kilometers per hour is expected to begin affecting the Florida Keys on Monday. DeSantis said the state is bracing for isolated tornadoes, heavy rain and flash flooding.
7 months agoTwo more victims were recovered from the site of the collapse in Miami, says the mayor
By Melissa AlonsoCredit: GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Saturday that two more victims were pulled from the rubble at the Miami building Friday night.
"The number of confirmed victims is now 24," Cava said. There are 188 people accounted for and 124 missing, according to the official.
"The numbers are fluid and will continue to change," Cava said.
7 months ago3 more victims identified
The Miami-Dade Police Department has released the identities of two additional victims of the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South building.
In addition, the remains of a 7-year-old girl were recovered on Friday, but her identity is being withheld at the request of her family.
Bonnie Epstein56 years oldBody recovered on 06/30/2021
Claudio Bonnefoy85 years oldBody recovered on 07/02/2021
María Obias-Bonnefoy69 years oldBody recovered on 07/02/2021
7 months ago6 cases of covid-19 reported among search and rescue teams in Miami
By Deanna HackneySix cases of covid-19 have been reported among search and rescue operations in Surfside , Florida, according to Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky.
At a press conference Friday night, Cominsky said the outbreak occurred among one of the Florida teams.
"So we have our medical procedures in place, you know, unfortunately, this is another challenge, but something we've been dealing with for the past year," Cominsky said.
The covid-19 positive working group has been "demobilized", according to the chief, and protocols have been put in place, including isolation.
(Credit: GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
7 months agoEvacuation and immediate closure of a building in Miami ordered
The city of North Miami Beach ordered the evacuation and immediate closure of the Crestview Towers Condominium building, as announced this Friday by the manager of the city Arthur H. Sorey. KEEP READING
7 months agoSearch and rescue is 'very exhausting' for everyone, says mayor
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on how families are coping of the victims and first responders the search and rescue work after the collapse.
"This is very exhausting for everyone, waiting and waiting and hoping and praying, especially for the families of course, and also for the first responders. This really is their passion. For them it is a calling. They ran back to the scene "The mayor told CNN this afternoon. "They don't want to miss any opportunity, any moment of saving lives. And so it's been a nightmare scenario for everyone involved," she added.
7 months agoMayor Signs Demolition Order for Champlain Towers South
Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida, signed an emergency order authorizing the demolition of Champlain Towers South which partially collapsed last week.
At a press conference this afternoon, the mayor said she was doing it "in the interest of public health and safety" and that the demolition will take place "as soon as the engineers finish defining the next steps to start the demolition process.
The chief added that the first priority continues to be the search and rescue operation, and recognized how difficult the situation is for those who lost their homes in the collapse.
7 months agoThe bodies of two other victims of the collapse in Miami were recovered; death toll rises to 22
By Deanna HackneyDaniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami Dade County, Florida, said at a press conference this afternoon that two more bodies were recovered during search efforts in the rubble of the Champlain Towers South.
The total confirmed deaths now stands at 22. 188 people have been located and 126 are missing.
7 months agoBiden modifies Florida emergency declaration to cover 100% of debris removal costs
By DJ JuddThe White House announced Friday that it will increase "the level of funding debris removal and emergency protective measures taken in the state of Florida as a result of the Surfside building collapse that began on June 24, 2021 and is ongoing."
"Under the president's order today, the federal (government funding) percentage for debris removal and emergency protective measures (...) has been increased to 100% of total eligible costs for a rolling 30-day period beginning June 24, 2021," the statement reads.
A bit of context: Biden hinted at the announcement yesterday in Florida, when after meeting with the families of those missing in the collapse, he told reporters: "I think my colleagues will tell them we cut red tape."
"The only, the only order I gave to the federal (officials) was: 'No bureaucracy. Get to the point. Get what you need.' That's why we decided to cover, for example, 100% of the costs search and rescue for the first 30 days. It's not done often, but in my opinion it's necessary here," he added.
7 months agoDemolition "will take some time" to complete, says mayor
(Credit: Mark Humphrey/ AP)
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday that "it's important to stress ... that a demolition can't be done overnight. In fact, it takes weeks to demolish a building".
Levine Cava said during a briefing that county officials have "had a couple of meetings with the engineers" over plans to demolish the structure that still stands at the site of the collapse.
"They are meeting regularly to see exactly what the process will be, and we are going to move quickly (...) in making decisions, but it will take some time for the demolition to take place," he explained.
"We are proceeding with the evaluation of all factors, all times, and the impacts linked to the demolition of the building," said Levine Cava.
A bit of context: Officials have been considering demolishing the rest of the building while operations continue in the area that collapsed more than a week ago, Levine Cava said late Thursday.
Work in the rubble was halted for much of the day Thursday as engineers assessed the still-standing structure. Levine Cava told reporters at a press conference that the operation resumed around 4:45 p.m. Miami time. Engineers are conducting tests and evaluations of the site to expand the search to other areas when it is safe to do so, he said.
CNN's Theresa Waldrop, Madeline Holcombe and Steve Almasy contributed to this article.
7 months agoSurfside mayor says county and local resources "come together" to house impacted families
By CNN's Melissa AlonsoSurfside Mayor Charles Burkett said on Friday that county and local resources have been working to house the displaced residents of Champlain Towers South, and that there is "no dissatisfaction" that he can detect with the process.
"I can tell you from my own experience that the families appreciate and acknowledge it, and they do it over and over again in those meetings [with officials], so there is no dissatisfaction [that] I have been able to detect" Burkett said.
"I'm looking for that because... I have a very small role, but I make sure I'm where everyone is so that if there's a problem, I can take it to the [Miami-Dade] mayor Cava, I can raise it with the governor of Florida, DeSantis, and I can report to our senators, and that's what I've been doing," Burkett said.
"That has worked because when there has been a technical problem, it has been fixed immediately," he said.
"Our resources, our county resources, our local resources, all the municipalities coming together, it's like a choir, and it's playing wonderfully," Burkett said.
7 months ago
One of the victims is the 7-year-old daughter of a Miami firefighter, mayor confirms
Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County mayor, confirmed that two bodies of victims of the building collapse in Miami.
"Unfortunately, the 7-year-old daughter of a Miami Fire Department worker was found," Levine said. The death toll rose to 20 and the missing to 128.
Francis Suárez, mayor of Miami, said that the body of the minor was recovered by the rescue team, “the idea of losing her in this way is unimaginable. She is someone from our family of firefighters ».
7 months agoMiami rescuers pay tribute to victims found at collapse site, fire chief says
Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said that the Miami firefighter whose daughter was found in the Surfside collapse on Thursday was not part of that rescue process "but was obviously notified."
According to Cominsky, Florida Task Force 2 (FL-TF2) was working on the rescue Thursday night "in different task forces," which did not include the father of the 7-year-old girl. The fire chief told reporters after the news conference that colleagues from her father's task force found her and then called him.
Cominsky also addressed what happens on the site when a victim is found.
"We don't stop because we're looking, but we make modifications," the official said.
"When we meet an individual... obviously we pay our respects, we have a process," the fire marshal said.
"I'm not going to go into details, but with different religious beliefs, we have a process that we start from the beginning and stick to it."
"We'll definitely reveal what we did at a later time," he said. "I want to emphasize: we do, we honor all the loved ones we've lost," she added.
7 months agoDemolition of remaining Surfside apartment structure 'will take some time,' Miami-Dade County mayor says
By CNN's Melissa AlonsoMiami-Dade County Mayor , Daniella Levine Cava, said Friday that "it is important to emphasize that a demolition cannot be done overnight; in fact, it takes weeks to demolish a building."
Levine Cava said during a briefing that county officials "had a couple of meetings with engineers" regarding plans to demolish the remaining structure from the collapse site.
"They are meeting regularly to see exactly what the process will be, and we are going to move quickly in making decisions, but it will take some time for the demolition to happen," the mayor said.
"We are proceeding with our assessment of all factors, all times, and impacts related to the demolition of the building," Levine Cava explained.
A little more context: Authorities have been considering demolishing the rest of the building while operations continue on sections that collapsed a week ago, Levine Cava said Thursday night.
Work on the rubble was halted for much of Thursday as engineers evaluated the still-standing structure. Levine Cava told reporters at an evening news conference that the operation resumed around 4:45 pm ET. Engineers are conducting ongoing testing and evaluation of the site to expand the search to more areas as it becomes safe to do so, he said.
CNN's Theresa Waldrop, Madeline Holcombe and Steve Almasy contributed to this article.
7 months agoWhat will happen to the partially collapsed building in Miami? This is what experts say
By Urial Blanco of CNN en EspañolEight days have passed since the tragedy in Surfside, Miami, and search and rescue work continues in the partially collapsed building. At the same time, questions arise about the future of the tower and other constructions in the area.
In the early hours of Thursday, June 24, a portion of Champlain Towers South collapsed, leaving 20 people dead and 128 missing so far.
Champlain Towers South, a 136-unit condominium tower, was built in 1981, the same year as its twin Champlain Towers North. A third tower, the Champlain Towers East, was erected in 1994. They are all in the same area, a few meters apart.
What could happen to the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South? And what could be the fate of the other East and North towers?
Read here what experts and authorities think.
7 months ago'In-depth' forensics to begin at sister building to Champlain Towers South
By CNN's Amanda Watts'In-depth' forensics to begin soon at Champlain Towers North structure , according to Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett.
The sister building to the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South is “substantially the same as the building that collapsed: same construction, same developer, same name, probably same materials,” Burkett said Friday.
“People are worried,” he said.
Burkett said construction officials and experts "are now preparing to take X-rays of the columns and do a deep analysis, a forensic study of the structure." He said they will "recover that data, plug it into models and they'll get to the point where we can definitely tell the people who live there if we think there's a problem or not."
7 months agoEight days after the collapse in Miami, this is what we know
Eight days after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Miami, the news continues to impact the United States and in the entire world. These are dark moments for the relatives of the 128 people who remain missing while the rescuers do not rest in their work.
This Friday, 20 people were confirmed dead. The authorities also reported that 188 people were accounted for.
The difficulties, in addition to the race against time, is the fragility of the ground on which the rescuers must work. In fact, on Thursday they had to temporarily suspend work after three crack monitoring devices were activated.
Read more about everything you need to know 8 days after the collapse.
7 months agoThey find two more victims, says the mayor
Daniella Levine Cava. Credit: GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday that two more victims were discovered Thursday night in the building collapse in Miami.
At least 20 people have died and 128 people are missing.
7 months agoAre there pets alive in the rubble of the Miami building?
By Amanda WattsCredit: CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said he is confident no pets have been left in the remaining structure at Champlain Towers South.
During a press conference Friday, Burkett said, "That building has been covered at least three times by the brave men and women of the search and rescue teams, from top to bottom, looking for anything alive."
Burkett said he hasn't heard anything was seen during those searches.
“Also, I heard today that there are drones flying inside that building, also searching. And I know if there was any situation with animals there, we'd probably know about it."
7 months agoFlorida Governor says state is working 'double-pronged' now with Hurricane Elsa
By Amanda WattsCredit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said his state is working on a “dual focus” with the site of the collapse and Hurricane Elsa, which could impact South Florida.
Speaking at a news conference Friday, DeSantis said “we could see tropical force winds as early as Sunday night in South Florida. So we are actively monitoring the situation as we always would with these storms, but given what we are doing at this site, we are also paying special attention to any impacts that may occur here in northeast Miami Dade County."
Surfside could possibly see tropical storm-force winds, DeSantis said.
“Our Emergency Management Department assumes that will happen, and makes the necessary preparations to obviously be able to protect a lot of the equipment, which could also have a situation in the building,” he said.
DeSantis said "we add this special emphasis on this site," he said, adding that they will have "a special sensitivity to whatever needs to be done to make sure that the efforts here are supported and protected."
The governor said he is preparing for a possible state of emergency, but has not yet issued one.
7 Months AgoMiami Fire Department Mourns Loss of Member's Daughter
By Amanda WattsIn a statement, MDFR Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban said: “Our Hearts and prayers go out to the families affected by this horrible tragedy. We can confirm that a member of our family from the City of Miami Fire Department lost her 7-year-old daughter in the collapse."
The girl was "recovered last night by members of our Urban Search and Rescue Team, Florida Task Force 2," the statement said.
Zahralban requested privacy for the family and the Fire Department "as we mourn our loss and stand with our own."
7 months agoThey identify a girl who was the daughter of one of the rescue workers
By Melissa AlondoCredit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that rescuers at the Miami collapse site "were able to identify a girl whose father worked for the City of Miami Fire Department."
"These are difficult situations for them," DeSantis said of the first responders.
"The search and rescue teams have worked tirelessly, obviously it's very physically draining, it's also emotionally draining," the governor said.
7 months ago"Right now I am homeless for all intents and purposes," says survivor
Steve Rosenthal, a survivor of the Miami landslide, is still in the process of coming to terms with the fact that his home it no longer exists and its neighbors are still missing.
"It's been crazy, the first three days I was upset, I was heartbroken and I was, you know, I didn't know what I was going to do. But it's gotten a little better. But I haven't felt it yet," said Rosenthal, who lived in the complex for 20 years.
She added: "I think I'll be sorry when this is all over, when all the reporters are gone, and then where do I go? What do I do? Where is my home? Right now I'm a person Homeless for all intents and purposes. For all intents and purposes, I'm homeless."
7 months agoProcess to determine whether to demolish site could take weeks, says FEMA engineer
By Hollie SilvermanProcess to determine whether to partially demolish what remains of the building It could take weeks to collapse, Scott Nacheman, a structural engineer with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Thursday.
Nacheman explained at a press conference that they are currently evaluating contingency plans.
Once they have the technical information, they will give it to everyone involved to make the decision.
"[The] determination can be made with (the elements of) how we want to proceed safely to make the site suitable for ongoing salvage operations," Nacheman said.
He said additional monitoring instruments are being used at the site and officials are placing more at other locations.
Monitoring "will continue indefinitely," he added.
7 months agoTropical Storm Elsa Monitored Amid Rescue Operations
By Hollie SilvermanMiami-Dade's emergency management team is monitoring Tropical Storm Elsa as efforts continue through the Champlain Towers South collapsed, said Charles Cirillo, division director of the Office of Emergency Management, during a briefing Thursday night.
Cirillo said the county faces the risk of heavy rain and high winds from Elsa from Sunday night through Monday morning.
While they don't believe the county is in immediate danger, they have developed emergency plans, he said.
He also urged businesses and residents to prepare for the storm.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the National Weather Service will be on site tomorrow to inform search teams about Elsa.
7 months agoCNN obtains letter sent to building owners following the resignation of two board members in 2019
By David Shortell and Francesca Giuliani-HoffmanA letter from the president of the Champlain condominium board Towers South sent to owners in 2019 confirms that two board members resigned on the same day in September of that year.
The letter obtained by CNN did not give a reason for the resignations. However, one of the members had raised concerns about the structure of the building in January 2019, when construction workers were excavating near the property.
According to the Washington Post, five of the seven board members resigned that fall as part of an exodus linked to infighting over a multimillion-dollar reparations project.
CNN's attempts to contact the two resigning board members have so far been unsuccessful.
7 months agoAnother of the victims of the collapse in Miami is identified
By Rosa Flores and Hollie SilvermanThis Thursday night, the authorities announced the identity of another of the victims of the collapse in the Champlain Towers South.
This is 80-year-old Magaly Elena Delgado, whose body was recovered on June 30 and was identified Thursday, according to a Miami-Dade County news release.
7 Months AgoFlorida will receive more than $20 million from FEMA to support ongoing operations, official says
By Hollie SilvermanFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in English) will provide $20.5 million in support to the state while operations continue at the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, said Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Guthrie said they will also receive an additional $4 million to $5 million to help cover costs associated with equipment and logistical resources, after President Biden pledged to cover 100% of the first 30 days.
On search efforts: Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said crews have resumed operations in three of the nine blocks at the collapse site. Those grids are D3, D2 and G3, he said.
The plan to resume work was approved by the FEMA support team, according to Cominsky.
Operations will now continue with "safety mitigation measures," it said, after being halted earlier on Thursday.
7 months agoAuthorities have notified the next of kin of 17 victims of the collapse
By Hollie SilvermanAuthorities have notified the next of kin of 17 of the 18 victims in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a news conference Thursday.
Levine Cava said search and rescue operations resumed around 4:45 p.m. Miami time following the recommendation of structural engineers, after an earlier pause due to safety concerns.
The mayor said access to the collapse area remains restricted and engineers are conducting tests and site evaluations to expand the search to more areas when it is safe to do so.
He explained that on-site teams are using cameras and drones, among other things, to continue work on the site.
7 months agoPlanning to demolish what remains of the building in Miami
By Josiah Ryan(Credit: Mark Humphrey/AP)
Authorities are planning to carefully demolish the rest of the partially collapsed building while rescue operations continue, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
"We are proceeding to plan for the probable demolition of the building while search and rescue continues, as our top priority," he told a news conference.
"This is a decision that we must make extremely carefully and methodically as we consider all potential impacts to the rubble pile and our search and rescue operation, as well as considerations of how best to manage demolition to protect the integrity of the existing debris field," he continued.
Talking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Florida Fire Chief Jimmy Patronis confirmed that the rest of the building would have to be torn down to "finish the mission." He stated that it is "too great a risk" for rescuers.
Patronis outlined the details of how the demolition could be done. He said they would cover the existing rubble pile with tarps, and "drop the building" toward Collins Avenue, away from the ocean.
7 months agoThe safety of lifeguards in Miami is of vital importance, says the mayor
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at a press conference this Thursday. (Credit: WPLG)
It is important to ensure the safety of first responders at the collapse site while search efforts continue, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during the first press conference since operations resumed after a break on Thursday.
Work was halted after a movement of the rubble pile raised concerns from on-site structural engineers.
"Our rescue team has been working non-stop, as you know, since this fateful building collapse and we needed our engineers on site to assess the safety of the standing structure. I am grateful for their hard work, which helped us it has allowed search and rescue to return as soon as possible. And we continue, of course, to ensure that we do everything possible to protect our first responders," Levine Cava said.
Levine Cava added: "We will continue to search frantically as we have at all times in the parts of the cave-in to which we currently have access."
7 Months AgoCounty Commissioner Says He Will Work To Find Legislation To Ensure Building Safety
By Camille FurstThe president of the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners spoke Thursday with CNN about the steps he plans to take to ensure the buildings are safe.
"After Hurricane Andrew, we probably had the toughest building codes in the country. It's the strongest, the toughest there is. This is something I never would have imagined would happen in our community because we're very strict about building codes." building codes," Jose Diaz said.
President Biden said he believes the federal government could cover all costs related to the June 24 collapse in Miami.
The president "told me personally that he was going to do that, and we were very happy when he told us that," Diaz said.
"We're going to work together like we've been doing to find the laws and rules and regulations so that this never happens again," he said.
7 months agoSurfside calls for speeding up building recertifications
By Hollie Silverman(Credit: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
The City of Surfside has requested that all buildings over 30 years old and over three stories tall begin construction assessments prior to 40-year recertification, according to a letter to property owners Thursday.
Buildings will be required to hire a registered structural engineer to perform a construction analysis. They are also required to hire a geotechnical engineer "to perform an analysis of the foundations and subsurface soils."
The letter comes a week after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers Condo South building. At least 18 people died in the collapse, while another 145 remain missing.
Repairs to the building as part of the 40-year recertification process had just begun when the collapse occurred.
7 months agoBiden visits memorial site near collapse site
By Kevin Liptak(Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
President Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, visited a memorial site with flowers, banners and candles that was erected near the site of the building collapse in Surfside.
The president approached some of the elements arranged on the metal fence, which he walked while reading the signs.
The first lady, for her part, carried a bouquet of white lilies in a clear cellophane wrapper tied with a white ribbon.
After walking along the wall, the couple retraced their steps, and the first lady placed the bouquet near the center of the memorial site.
The president made the sign of the cross and wiped his eyes. The couple stopped for a moment and he crossed himself again before heading back to his car.
Earlier, Biden met with first responders and families affected by the condominium collapse.
7 months agoBiden: Families of victims hope but are realistic
By Josiah RyanPresident Biden praised the strength and resilience he witnessed among the families of those missing in the Miami landslide , but noted that they are realistic about the situation.
"What amazed me about this group of people was their resilience and their absolute commitment and willingness to do whatever it took to find an answer," Biden said from Miami.
"I walked away impressed by his strength," he added.
Biden did not rule out the possibility of survivors being found in the rubble, but said families and those carrying out rescue operations understand that the chances of finding people alive are diminishing with each passing hour.
"Families are very realistic," Biden said. "Everyone is a realist (...) They know that the chances diminish slightly as the days go by."
"There is still a possibility that someone is alive, that someone is still breathing, that someone is there," he added.
The president noted that many families hope they can at least recover the bodies of their loved ones for burial.
7 months agoRescue operations resume in Miami
By Bonney Kapp and Holly SilvermanRescue operations have resumed at the site of the Champlain Towers collapse, the mayor of Surfside told CNN , Charles Burkett, Thursday afternoon.
Operations had been temporarily halted following a movement of the debris pile that raised concerns for structural engineers on site, CNN previously reported.
A press conference is expected at 6:30 p.m. Miami time.
7 Months AgoBiden Says There Is Currently "No Firm Evidence" Why the Collapse
By Alyssa KrausPresident Biden said there is currently "no firm evidence of what happened" when asked about what you found out today regarding the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South.
Biden said there are "rational speculations" but the cause of the collapse is not yet known and the investigation is ongoing.
"Many of the families that survived talked about how upset they were because in the last few years they've been here, a condominium complex was built across the street and the street was bought, and while they lived there they heard the drilling and felt their building shake and shake," he said.
The president also told reporters that many loved ones and survivors raised the question of whether global warming affected the building, due to rising sea levels and the arrival of tropical storms.
"I don't think there is a definitive judgment at this point about why it collapsed and what can be done to prevent it from happening, and what other buildings should be inspected to determine if they had the same problems," Biden said.
The president awaits the findings of a team of six federal scientists and engineers who are collecting data on the ground. The president hopes to use the results of the investigation to determine how infrastructure such as residential towers can be better strengthened to prevent catastrophic failure, according to officials.
CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
7 months agoBiden: "I thought it was important to talk to every person who wanted to talk to me"
From Miami, President Joe Biden referred to the time he spent Thursday talking with the families who have lost their loved ones in the condominium collapse and with whom they are still awaiting news.
"I thought it was important to talk to every single person who wanted to talk to me," Biden said, explaining that after the start of the media-covered meeting he spent the rest of his time with people in the room.
"I sat down with a person who had just lost her husband and her young son," Biden said during remarks from Miami.
She added: "We will be in contact with many of these families as we continue this process, but much remains to be done."
7 months agoCompany named in landslide lawsuit says it did its job
By Curt Devine and Gregory LemosMorabito Consultants, the firm named in a lawsuit against the Champlain Towers condominium association South, which claims it should have further examined the building's stability following a 2018 inspection, said it did its job.
"Morabito Consultants provided the Champlain Towers South condominium association with detailed findings and recommendations nearly three years ago regarding structural repairs needed to the building to ensure the safety of residents and the public," a spokesperson said Thursday. of Morabito Consultants, Brett Marcy.
"Morabito Consultants did their job, as they have for nearly four decades, providing expert advice and structural engineering services. And they will continue to work with investigating authorities to understand why this structure failed so that it such a catastrophic event will never happen again," he added.
A bit of context: A lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of Harold Rosenberg, who remains missing, names Morabito Consultants, which conducted a structural analysis of the building in 2018, as a defendant, and argues that the firm should have looked more thoroughly the stability of the building "by inspecting the foundations below the surface."
Marcy said company members "continue to pray for the families and loved ones of all who have been affected by this tragic event, including the brave men and women who are tirelessly searching for those still unaccounted for." a stranger.
7 months agoSome families of those missing in the Surfside collapse refused to meet with Biden
By CNN's Nick Valencia and Pamela KirklandPablo Rodríguez, whose mother, Elena Blasser, and grandmother, Elena Chavez, they are still missing, she will not meet with President Biden today, she told CNN.
She decided to take her young son to a grief counselor: "I really wish I was because I really wish I could talk to him about the need for comprehensive reform nationwide." He added that "the major problems are systemic and there are millions living and working in buildings across the United States."
Avi Cohen, whose father, Brad Cohen, and uncle, Gary Cohen, are among those missing, also refused to meet with the president. When asked if he had a message for President Biden, he said: "I'm not interested in talking to him..."
Several other relatives and friends of the missing whom CNN contacted did not want to speak, saying they were too devastated to comment.
Soraya Cohen's husband and brother-in-law are also missing after the collapse. She declined to meet with Biden today, responding via voicemail to CNN saying she's not happy the president has come to the area at this time because his visit could hinder rescue efforts, adding: "Tell him to go... and fast."
7 months agoThe whereabouts of dozens of people are still unknown while rescue operations are halted. Here's what you need to know
By CNN's Elise HammondTeams have been searching for survivors for more than a week after an apartment building collapsed in Surfside, Florida. Now, operations have been halted over safety concerns for the structure, as many families continue to wait for their loved ones to be found.
Here's what you need to know today.
The numbers
At least 18 people are confirmed dead. 145 people are still missing. Crews have removed nearly 1,400 tons of debris from the site. Right now: Rescue operations are halted at the collapse site due to "structural concerns about the standing structure," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said there were concerns about "6 to 12 inches of movement and a large column hanging from the structure that could fall and cause damage to the columns." of support and to the garage area of the south lot," adding that there was "slight movement in the slabs of a concrete floor that could cause the building to fail further."
Cominsky said that during initial search efforts hours after the collapse, teams heard the voice of a woman trapped in the rubble. However, they could not reach her.
Tropical Storm Elsa: Amid concerns that weather could affect search and rescue efforts, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state does not expect an impact from the tropical storm. He said meteorologists are monitoring conditions.
President Biden: The President is in Surfside today. He attended a briefing with local and state leaders, met and thanked first responders, and met with affected families. He is expected to deliver comments later this afternoon, according to a White House schedule. During the meetings, Biden told officials that the federal government could likely pay 100% of the disaster response costs.
The investigation: The City of Doral confirmed that it is reviewing the eight projects Ross Prieto has worked on since he was assigned by his employer CAP Government. Prieto has come under fire for allegedly telling the Champlain Towers South apartment association that he was in "very good shape," according to minutes of a 2018 meeting.
In addition, a majority of the Champlain Towers apartment board decided to resign in the fall of 2019 after disputes over the lackluster response in addressing needed repairs at the condo complex, The Washington Post reports.
7 months agoStructural engineer says computer models will determine if rescuers can safely resume
By CNN's Alyssa KrausSearch and rescue operations halted at collapse site of Champlain Towers South this morning after three devices monitoring cracks in the structure were triggered.
Allyn Kilsheimer, the structural engineer hired by the city of Surfside, Florida, to investigate the collapse, told CNN that protecting search and rescue teams is of the utmost importance.
"Obviously, in a situation like this, given the condition of the building that I know of and have seen, the building could have secondary mechanisms of collapse. Sometimes that happens," Kilsheimer said.
"Right now, protecting first responders and emergency responders is really important, because you need them there so you can keep looking for people," he added.
The structural engineer noted that the column that has moved from 6 to 12 inches is a concern, as it could cause another part of the building to collapse. In order to resume rescue operations, the safety of the site must be determined.
"To the extent possible, you should determine what caused the movement and try to ensure that nothing else was put at risk in the building. Once you are as comfortable as possible from a safety standpoint , it can start operation again," Kilsheimer said.
However, he said high winds and storms should also be considered before allowing operations to resume. Using computer models, experts can determine the weather conditions the building can safely withstand, Kilsheimer said.
"We're doing computer modeling of what kind of wind force causes what kind of stress, and therefore it's possible that at a certain wind force, the building is still standing," he said.
"For eight, nine or 10 hours, you might have to, the recovery effort might have to stop to get people out of there. But we're doing the computer modeling to try to confirm those different numbers." , he claimed.
7 Months AgoBiden Recounts His Own Losses And Grief In Meeting With First Responders
By Kevin LiptakDuring his meeting with first responders and officials near Surfside, Florida, President Biden recounted the car crash that he killed his first wife and daughter, saying he had trusted first responders his entire life and valued their sacrifices.
"I just wanted to come down and say thanks," he said. "I've worked with you all my career."
She also told them she needed emergency help when she had a cranial aneurysm that required an ambulance ride to the hospital in a snowstorm for life-saving surgery.
"I just want them to know that we understand them," Biden said. "What they're doing right now is very difficult to handle, even psychologically. I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you."
"We know what you're doing here is incredible," Biden told first responders, "having to deal with uncertainty and worry about families."
Biden met the group inside a hotel in Bal Harbor near the city line with Surfside.
Biden is there to meet with officials, first responders and families awaiting news about their loved ones who were inside the building when it collapsed last week.
7 months agoSearch halted after three crack monitoring devices activated
A Miami-Dade County police boat patrols in front of the Champlain Towers South apartment building, which was partially collapsed, ahead of a planned site visit by President Joe Biden on Thursday, July 1 in Surfside. (Credit: Mark Humphrey/AP)
The Miami-Dade County Fire Chief said search and rescue operations withdrew from the Champlain South Towers collapse site early Thursday after three devices monitoring cracks in the tower went off. structure.
Chief Alan Cominsky told reporters during a news conference that the alarms "indicated there was some expansion or whatever," adding that there was also a column that shifted 6 to 8 inches.
Cominsky said first responders were immediately recalled.
Search and rescue personnel "have been working in a very, very, unsafe environment," he said, adding that they have been unable to identify a single triggering event prior to the catastrophic collapse in Surfside, Florida.
7 months agoTeams heard a female voice during initial search and rescue efforts
Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said that during initial search efforts and rescue hours after the collapse, crews heard the voice of a woman trapped in the rubble of the building in Miami, however they were unable to reach her.
During a press conference Thursday, Cominsky was asked about a female voice heard in the first hours after the collapse. She said they heard "audible sounds" of a female voice during their initial search-and-rescue efforts while working below the building's shell. Cominsky said they listened to the woman's voice for several hours and kept looking until they could no longer hear her.
“In the end we no longer heard his voice, we continued searching,” he said. "Again... that's to emphasize the magnitude of what we're going through."
"The efforts that all of our fire and rescue personnel, everyone here on the scene, are trying to do to the best of our ability in these heroic efforts," Cominsky said.
7 months agoOperations Suspended Due To Structural Concerns
Search-and-rescue operations have been temporarily halted due to structural concerns with what remains of the building, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella said Levine Cava, during a press conference on Thursday.
"We are doing everything we can and will resume search and rescue as soon as we can," Cava said. The families of the victims have been informed about this fact, said the mayor.
Cava also said President Biden's visit to the Surfside collapse site will have no impact on today's search and rescue operations.
7 months agoIsraeli commander says they are making “new finds all the time” as they dig through the rubble
The commander of Israel's National Rescue Unit said Thursday that search and Rescue is making “new finds all the time” as they dig through the rubble of the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Miami.
“There are new findings all the time and the families will be the first to know each time, so I will keep the updates for the families,” Colonel Golan Vach, commander of Israel's National Rescue Unit, told John Berman on CNN's “New Day” on Thursday.
A week after the collapse, Vach said the reality is that as first responders continue to find new gaps, reality is settling in.
“Every time we go, we see a different situation that gives us, on the one hand, the reality that there are not many possibilities of finding people alive, but on the other hand we see another situation, other gaps in which we can enter and search people. Unfortunately, as you know, all the people we found are not alive," Vach said.
When asked about finding two dead girls in the rubble, Vach said he was personally there when the bodies were removed.
“As a parent, I get to be with families at this very difficult time,” Vach said. “All I can tell the families is that we are trying to scale, we are trying to do our job in a very professional way to reach them quickly, but gently, with all the respect that can be given to them in these very difficult times. ”.
Vach said the collapse site remains dangerous due to the unstable nature of the part of the building that remains standing. He did not confirm whether search and rescue operations were to be halted at any time overnight.
7 months agoNew video shows debris and water jets in the garage in Miami moments before the collapse
By Boris SánchezA couple staying at a nearby hotel recorded a video showing debris and water jets of water in the underground parking lot of the Surfside condominium building minutes before it collapsed.
Adriana Sarmiento and Roberto Castillero were at a nearby hotel when they recorded a video in the early hours of June 24. A recording, taken after the couple heard a loud crash, shows a view through the gate to the parking lot.
Water can be seen falling and concrete debris appears to have fallen.
The couple watched as residents of the Champlain Towers South building ran to their balconies, confused by the sound. Sarmiento said she and Castillero rushed out into the street, trying to signal for residents to evacuate, but they couldn't understand her.
“Dust, and then glass, rock, and then I started running for my life,” Castillero said.
It took them a few minutes to realize what happened.
Video the couple recorded after the collapse showed a huge pile of rubble even as far as they were standing after running back to their hotel. They were in disbelief.
“I said, ‘Where are the people on the balcony?'” Castillero said. "I didn't realize the balcony wasn't there."
Sarmiento said the image has stuck in his mind.
“For me, it's been really hard to think about everyone who lived there,” she said.
As of Wednesday night, the death toll from the collapse stood at 18 with 145 people missing, authorities said.
The underground garage was an area that inspectors had said in 2018 needed repair. One engineer wrote in a report that “failed waterproofing” below the pool deck was “causing significant structural damage to the structural concrete slab below these areas” and warned that if it is not replaced in the near future, “ concrete deterioration will expand exponentially.”
The investigation into the collapse is just beginning and experts have said it will take months to determine what caused the 55 units in two sections of the building to collapse.
7 months agoHere's what we know about Biden's trip to Miami
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Miami today.
Biden, whose empathy in the midst of loss is one of his chief political traits, stands ready to comfort families facing the excruciating search for their loved ones inside a seaside building that suddenly collapsed a week ago. .
The devastating structural failure, which has so far resulted in 18 confirmed deaths with another 145 people still missing, could become the deadliest unintentional building collapse in US history. The tragedy has raised new questions about the safety of the high-rises that stretch for miles along the South Florida coast, along with similar developments across the country.
The president is awaiting findings from a team of six federal scientists and engineers gathering data on the ground. He hopes to use the results of his research to determine how infrastructure, such as residential towers, can be better hardened against catastrophic failure, according to officials.
But before that, there are grieving families to comfort and exhausted rescuers to thank, a presidential responsibility Biden takes as seriously as any.
"There's nothing worse than having to wait and wonder what happened," Biden said last week. "It's a difficult, difficult time. There are so many people waiting. 'Are they alive? Will they be - what will happen?' And that's why our hearts go out to them."
The White House released details of the Bidens' schedule for the day. This is what they have planned:
At 10:05 a.m. ET, they will receive a briefing. At 11 a.m., they will thank first responders. At 12:30 p.m., they will hold a closed press meeting with family members. Finally, at 3:50 p.m., Biden will deliver remarks.The president and The first lady will return to the White House later tonight.
7 Months AgoSurfside Apartment Association Hires Crisis Communications Firm
By CNN's David ShortellThe Champlain Towers South Condominium Association has hired a crisis communications firm in the aftermath of the collapse of the building last week, the company confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.
The full statement from Maxwell Marcucci, Vice President of LEVICK, reads:
"The Champlain Towers South Condominium Association has retained LEVICK, a communications firm with extensive experience in these matters, to assist them during this very difficult time. LEVICK has been handling the hundreds of media inquiries from all over the world interested in the latest breaking news on this unprecedented tragedy.By taking on the significant communication responsibilities to keep the media constantly informed, a burden has been removed from the board members of the association of volunteers, who in turn are mourning the loss of their loved ones, friends and neighbors, so they can focus on the critical work of assisting all forms of search and rescue involved in this tragedy."
7 months agoPresident Biden will meet with families in Surfside this Thursday
By CNN's Kevin LiptakPresident Biden, whose empathy in the midst of loss is his main political characteristic, will travel this Thursday to comfort families in Florida who are enduring the excruciating search for their loved ones inside a seaside condominium that suddenly collapsed a week ago.
The devastating structural failure, which has so far resulted in 18 confirmed deaths with another 145 people still missing, could become the deadliest unintentional building collapse in US history. It has raised new questions about the safety of high-rises that stretch for miles along the South Florida coast, along with similar developments across the country.
Biden, who will be joined by first lady Jill Biden in Florida, is awaiting findings from a team of six federal scientists and engineers gathering information on the ground. He hopes to use the results of his research to determine how infrastructure, such as residential towers, can be better strengthened against catastrophic failure, according to officials.
But before that, there are grieving families to comfort and exhausted rescue workers to thank, a presidential responsibility Biden takes as seriously as any.
"There's nothing worse than having to wait and wonder what happened," Biden said last week. "It's a difficult, difficult time. There are so many people waiting. 'Are they alive? Will they be, what will happen?' And for that our heart goes out to them."
The White House was still finalizing the details of Biden's visit on Wednesday, but said he would meet first responders and search-and-rescue teams to thank them, along with families waiting to hear from their loved ones. Her schedule has more than three hours blocked to meet with the dozens of families affected by the tragedy. He plans to comment from the St. Regis Hotel later.
He will meet with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a chief acolyte of former President Donald Trump who is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, during a midday briefing with other officials in Surfside, near where collapse occurred.
7 Months AgoCondo Association Insurance Company to Offer Full Policy to Suing Residents, Lawyer Says
By Dave ShortellAn Attorney for a Condo Association Insurance Company Champlain Towers South said Tuesday that the company would make its entire $1 million policy available to those who filed a class action lawsuit against the condominium association last week.
In a letter filed with the Florida judge overseeing the lawsuit, Sina Bahadoran, the attorney, wrote that James River Insurance Company "has made the decision to voluntarily offer its entire attached policy limit to try to resolve all the claims in this matter".
The insurance policy, a copy of which was included in the letter, has limits of US$1 million per incident and an overall limit of US$2 million.
Justin Failoni, senior vice president at insurance firm Collinsworth, Alter, Fowler & French, who specializes in construction sector insurance, said the insurance company would likely interpret the collapse as a single event, triggering the $1 million cover.
The letter was filed as part of the lawsuit filed last Thursday on behalf of Manuel Drezner, who lived in unit 1009 of the tower.
A hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning in the case, which was the first civil lawsuit filed after the collapse, according to Brad Sohn, a representative for Drezner.
7 months agoTeams from multiple states are activated to assist in the search
By Rebekah Riess(CreditMichael Reaves/Getty Images)
Several states have activated task forces to assist in the search in Surfside, Florida.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf tweeted that 70 members of a team from the state are coming out tonight to help at the collapse site.
"It will be dangerous work. But the ability to be able to provide closure to the families and friends of the victims of this collapse is a huge blessing," Wolf said.
Earlier, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also announced that a team from the state would deploy to Miami tomorrow morning.
In addition, an Ohio team of approximately 80 members and several canine crews have been supporting the efforts since Wednesday night.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also activated the Indiana task force to respond with a group of 80 members.
7 months agoPhoto from 2018 shows a crack in the concrete in the pool equipment room of the Champlain Towers South building
By David ShortellA photo from 2018 shows a crack in the concrete in the Champlain Towers South pool equipment room. (Credit: Tom Henz)
A newly obtained photograph from 2018 shows the early stages of a crack in the concrete of the pool equipment room at the Surfside building that collapsed last week. The image contrasts with another from the same room that was supposedly taken a few days before the collapse and that has been a key piece for experts working to determine the cause of the tragedy.
The 2018 photo shared with CNN by Tom Henz, a mechanical engineer whose firm did an electrical and mechanical inspection of the Champlain Towers South building that year as part of its 40-year recertification process, shows a crack around the edge of a beam that runs across the top of the room.
Engineers and experts consulted by CNN said the same crack appears to be seen in the 2021 photograph, which was published earlier this week by the Miami Herald, though the condition appears worse in the most recent photo.
The cause of the deterioration is unclear.
After inspecting the building in 2018, engineer Frank Morabito wrote in a report that "failed waterproofing" below the pool deck was "causing significant structural damage to the structural concrete slab below these areas." and warned that not replacing it in the near future would cause "concrete deterioration to expand exponentially."
A 2021 letter addressed to the building's residents by the president of the condominium association confirmed that exponential deterioration had indeed occurred in the intervening years.
"The deterioration of concrete is accelerating," wrote Jean Wodnicki, president of the association. "Observable damage, such as in the garage, has significantly worsened since the initial (2018) inspection."
Experts CNN spoke to said the progression seen in the crack between the two images could be an indication of deterioration caused by the waterproofing problem described by Morabito. Or, according to some, the concrete surrounding the crack could have dislodged during the three-year interval, revealing the deeper fissure seen in the 2021 photograph.
"It could be below the surface. Sometimes there's a shard and all it takes is a little wind or someone hitting (the surface) for it to come loose. It's hanging by a hair, basically," said Greg Batista, structural engineer and Florida Construction Manager Director.
In the days since the building collapse, which has left at least 18 people dead and 145 unaccounted for, it has emerged that the base of the tower may be a potential point of failure. In addition to Morabito's report, two witnesses have also claimed that they saw the beginning of the collapse through the pool platform.
On Tuesday, a resident of the tower who escaped just before it collapsed told CNN she saw the garage, which sits partly under the pool, fall first, before the rest of the building. The story was in line with another woman, Cassondra Stratton, who told her husband in a phone call from a tower condo that she saw a hole where the pool used to be, her husband told the Miami Herald. .
Spalling, or cracking, can occur when steel reinforcements in concrete begin to rust and expand from exposure to air and water. The spread is often compared to a cancer.
"Once this kind of deterioration starts, it's insidious, it just continues. Unless something is done about it, everything is going to collapse, all the concrete is going to collapse," said Matthys Levy, engineer and author from the book "Why Buildings Fall Down," among others. Engineers consulted by CNN disagreed that a failure in the pool equipment room area or around the pool deck could have caused the collapse of the building, but many noted that the damage seen in the room was likely indicative of maintenance issues in the building.
"In general terms it shows how bad the concrete was. You can draw whatever conclusions you want, (for example) that maybe the rest of the concrete was just as bad," Levy said.
7 months agoFederal security agency announces investigation into landslide
By Chris Boyette and Rebekah Riess(Credit: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
A team has been established to investigate the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium, James Olthoff, director of the National Institute of Standards and (NIST), announced Wednesday at a news conference.
Olthoff said it will be a technical fact-finding investigation, not culprit, and will not interfere with any ongoing search-and-rescue operations.
"Based on the information we have collected, we can recommend a full technical investigation under the National Building Safety Team Act. We will now establish a team to begin the thorough process of collecting and analyzing all the information that can help us determine the technical cause of the failure," said Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who leads the NIST team on site.
7 months ago"He wasn't just my dad, he was my best friend," says cave-in victim's son
By Lauren M. Johnson and Alisha EbrahimjiNick Altman describes his father Michael, 50 years, as a selfless man who loved life, racquetball and his family.
"He wasn't just my dad, he was my best friend, and I told him everything," says Nick.
"Whenever I was successful at something, I would pick up the phone or drive to see him, in every troubling situation I would talk to him immediately."
Michael texted his son twice a day to check on him, once in the morning and once at night. After the collapse, the eerie silence on the phone told Nick that something was wrong.
"He was a selfless, happy person who always sees the light no matter how deep in the trenches he gets," Nick said.
Nick told CNN his father was a dual citizen and came to the United States from Costa Rica at the age of four. The apartment on the 11th floor of the building had been in his family since the 1980s, when it was built.
Michael was a champion racquetball player in his youth, according to Nick, and he shared that gift with his two sons, who often let him show off his skills against them.
"Playing racquetball with my dad is one of my favorite memories," Altman says.
"He taught me and my brother Jeffery how to play racquetball and play 21s trying to beat him (...) we didn't beat him once."
Michael was also a great friend to his neighbors in the complex.
"He's a one of a kind guy, no one can ever replace him or be like him in my life, I've never met someone as adorable as him," Altman said.
Michael is survived by his children, his parents Anita and Allen, and his sister Debbie.
7 months agoIdentities of 4 other victims in Surfside collapse confirmed, including 2 girls
By Rosa Flores and Rebekah RiessMiami-Dade police have identified four other victims of the building collapse from Surfside last week.
The identified victims are Lucia Guara, 10, Emma Guara, 4, Anaely Rodriguez, 42, and Andreas Giannitsopoulos, 21. Their bodies were recovered this Wednesday, June 30, according to the police.
"The Guara sisters were only 4 and 10 years old," Miami-Dade Police said in a tweet. "Please keep their families and loved ones in your prayers."
7 months agoOwner shares video from 2018 showing water leaking from a pipe in the garage
Video provided to CNN by attorney Adam Moskowitz shows water dripping from a pipe in the garage of the building.
Moskowitz told CNN that his client has complained for years about various things she's seen in the building and that she filed a complaint with the condominium association about the water leak in the garage in August 2018.
CNN does not know the conditions surrounding the leak or the video footage, nor if and how the building responded in that case. It's also not known if the issue raised in the video played a role in last week's crash.
The video was not included as part of the lawsuit filed this week, but it is an example of complaints that have been made previously, a Moskowitz spokesperson told CNN.
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the condominium association told CNN they are not responding at this time due to pending litigation.
"She's been complaining for months, for years, Raysa has been telling the building — in pictures and video — she's been saying the building is falling apart. She has video of the garage. There's a leak on her car. Every week, she and her friends complain and nobody listened to her. Nobody. And they told her, "Your building is fine, your building is safe, don't worry about it. This is ridiculous. That's why we filed a class action lawsuit, because It has to start now. These people need to grieve, but we have to start preserving the evidence. We have to start involving a receiver if there are claims from the owners. We have to make sure the insurance money is frozen and no one is taking it. Take it, because this is just horrible. The behavior is so egregious, I've never seen this before," he told CNN.
7 months agoFederal agency expected to announce investigation into collapse
By Kristen Holmes and Kaitlan CollinsA federal law enforcement agency is expected to announce Wednesday night that it will launch an investigation into the building collapse in Surfside, according to a senior administration official.
After an initial evaluation, the National Institute of Standards and (NIST), a small agency within the Department of Commerce, is expected to announce its decision during the evening press conference along with officials state and local. This would be the fifth time they have begun an investigation into a structural collapse since they were given this power after 9/11.
The ultimate goal of the investigation will be to determine the technical cause of the collapse and, if indicated, recommend changes to building codes, standards and practices or other appropriate measures to improve the structural safety of buildings. Several officials warn it could take years for a full NIST investigation to be completed.
The decision comes a day before President Joe Biden arrives in Florida. Biden has called for an investigation into the collapse, and an administration official confirmed that any investigation would be done through NIST. The agency has been providing regular updates to the White House through the Commerce Department.
A team of six federal officials, including scientists, structural engineers and a geotechnical engineer, arrived in Florida late Sunday to assess the collapse and conduct a preliminary investigation of the collapsed building's materials, history and building codes. construction at the time the condominium was built, the land surrounding the building and other factors, an agency official said.
7 months agoDeath toll in collapse rises to 18, bodies of two children found in rubble
Death toll after building collapse in Surfside rises to 18, she told conference Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
"It pains me to tell you that we found two more bodies in the rubble, bringing our total death toll to 18. It is also with a heavy heart, with real pain, that I have to share with you that two of them were children, so 4 and 10 years. Any loss of life, especially given the unexpected and unprecedented nature of this event, is a tragedy, but the loss of our children is too great to bear," he said.
Levine Cava added: "Our community, our nation and the world, we all mourn these families who have lost loved ones and we mourn with them and stand with them as a community, and we are so grateful for everyone's support. you everywhere as we continue to push through the rubble."
7 months agoCollapse victim was wearing prayer beads when found
By Rosa Flores and John CouwelsThe last identified collapse victim, Hilda Noriega, 92, was wearing prayer beads when she was found, according to the father Juan Sosa, from the Catholic Church of San José.
"Maybe he was saying the rosary when this happened," Sosa said. "She's with God," she added.
Sosa says Noriega was a very independent "fighter" woman. She was walking from the Champlain Towers South to the church to participate in the 12:30 p.m. mass.
Sosa said Noriega's dying wish was to be buried with her late husband.
"We're going to miss her," Sosa said.
7 months agoSurfside's government sent a notice to the condominium association about minor violations weeks before the collapse, documents show
By Curt DevineLess than a month before the Champlain Towers South collapse , the city of Surfside's enforcement division sent a notice to the condominium association that listed a number of minor violations including untrimmed hedges, a missing exit light and a malfunctioning gate, according to new documents released by the city. from Surfside on Wednesday.
The May 26 notice called for the building to "comply with all of the above violations" but failed to mention any of the problems described in a 2018 field study by an engineer. That report described "significant structural damage." in a slab under the pool deck and Abundant cracks in columns in the parking lot, among other issues.
A 2018 condominium board member shared that report with the city's building official at the time, Ross Prieto, who assured residents at the condominium association meeting that same year that the building was in "good condition," the documents show.
In May, the city sent a series of other enforcement notices to individual unit owners in the condominium that described violations of lighting regulations intended to protect hatchling sea turtles.
A Surfside spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why minor violations but not structural concerns were addressed in the May notices. Officials have stressed that the cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
A notice sent by the city to the condominium association in 2018 described “excess water pooling on the garage pavement, possibly due to a leaking sprinkler” and noted holes in the wall of the 12th-floor stairwell.
7 months agoWhat we know so far
16 people have been confirmed dead and 147 people are missing after a residential building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, last Thursday.
Search and rescue teams continue to work to locate people. Emergency officials are also asking people to call 305-614-1819 if they have family members whose whereabouts are unknown.
The cause of the collapse is still unknown, but a letter sent months before the deadly collapse warned that damage to the building was accelerating after a 2018 report raised concerns about structural damage.
7 months agoSurvivor's voicemail details moments condo collapse
By Alyssa KrausCNN received a voicemail from Raysa Rodriguez, a survivor of the Champlain Towers South collapse , which she left to her brother after the sounds of the building starting to collapse around her woke her up.
The voicemail contains the sound of the building collapsing; screams and alarms can also be heard, according to the survivor's attorney.
"I heard voices. I have to control these guys," Rodríguez said. "Oh my God! What the hell? Oh my God!...The whole building is gone."
Rodriguez is a plaintiff in the first class action lawsuit against the Champlain Towers South condominium association. Rodríguez has accused the group of recklessness and negligent conduct.
7 months agoAttorney for residents calls for accountability for "absolute hell" caused by collapse
Adam Moskowitz, an attorney for residents who sued the Champlain Towers South Condominium Board , anyone responsible for the "absolute hell" caused by the building collapse was called to account.
"We're going to get to the bottom of who is responsible," Moskowitz told CNN's Alisyn Camerota. «It could have been a parade of horrible (guilty). It could have been the antenna, the roofing company, it could have been the pool, it could have been a lot."
“We are going to freeze the evidence and make sure whoever caused this horrible hell is held accountable for it,” he added. "Buildings don't fall down."
Moskowitz said it was crucial to quickly pursue a class action lawsuit, even as survivors, former residents, and friends and family members cry to ensure justice.
“We filed a class action lawsuit because it has to start now,” he said. "These people need to cry, but we need to start preserving the evidence... We need to make sure the insurance money is frozen and no one takes it, because this is just horrible."
“The behavior is so egregious, I have never seen this before,” he added.
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