A boy was pulled from rubble by firefighters after part of Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Florida, collapsed around 2 a.m. on June 24. YouTube Tips ⓘ
Following a pancake collapse of a significant section of a 12-story condominium building about 1:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, June 24, 2021; four people are confirmed dead, 11 people are confirmed injured among 127 people accounted for, and 159 people were unaccounted for — as of Saturday morning, June 26, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
Several missing people are citizens from outside of the United States, including 20 citizens from Israel, eight citizens from Argentina, six citizens from Venezuela, six from Colombia, five citizens from Paraguay, four from Canada, three from Uruguay, and one from Chile.
Paraguay’s Ministry of External Relations released a statement that the First Lady Silvana López Moreira’s sister, her sister’s husband, and their three children were missing following the building collapse. Another Paraguayan citizen was also reported missing. Alberto Bachelet, a first cousin of former Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet’s, father, is also believed to be missing, according to a family member.
As of Saturday morning, June 26, 2021, the only fatality with an identity released is 54-year-old Stacie Fang. She is the mother of a 15-year-old boy who was rescued from the collapsed building Thursday morning.
Surfside mayor Charles Burkett said in a news conference that ten people were treated at the scene of the collapsed building Thursday morning, and that two people were transported to a hospital, where one of the two victims was pronounced dead.
At least 35 people were rescued from the building collapse early in the prolonged rescue operation.
Surveillance video shows that a large north-central section of the building collapsed first, which left the isolated and unstable northeast corner standing for about nine seconds before it collapsed. Fifty-five of 136 units of the condominium building were destroyed in the collapse.
Surveillance video shows the moment a portion of a 12-story condo building collapsed Thursday morning in Surfside, Fla, near Miami. Rescue crews continued to search for survivors into the afternoon. Photo: Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Associated Press YouTube Tips ⓘ
Security camera video from an adjacent building captured the moment of a beachfront condo building collapsed in Surfside, a town outside Miami. YouTube Tips ⓘ
More than 80 rescue units from the South Florida area responded to the building collapse, according to the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. Miami-Dade Urban Search and Rescue Team’s Task Force 2 (USAR South Florida Task Force 2) with 80-plus members is among the rescue teams assigned to the rescue response. USAR South Florida Task Force 2 (funded by the City of Miami) is designed to respond nationally to a variety of disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities and hazardous materials releases where victims may be trapped, lost or injured.
Also, Florida Task Force Two (FL-TF2), comprised of approximately 250 members, from 27 Supporting Agencies is assigned.,
FL-TF2 is categorized with the following disciplines:
· Search
· Rescue
· Logistics
· Communications
· Planning
· Medical
· Hazardous Materials Specialists
· Engineers
· Canine Handlers
· Flood and Swift Water Specialists
A smoldering fire exists in the collapse debris, and a trench was built to separate rescuers from the smoke.
Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava called a state of emergency and requested that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also activated a state of emergency. Governor DeSantis viewed the disaster site on Thursday and issued a state of emergency. DeSantis was also at the disaster site Saturday morning for an 11:00 a.m. EDT press conference.
The L-shaped residential building, Champlain Towers South, is located at 8777 Collins Avenue (Florida State Road A1A). The condominium mid-rise was built in 1981 by developer Nathan Reiber as part of a complex along with two other separate buildings, one built at the same time called Champlain Towers North, and the other built between the North and South buildings in 1991 called Champlain Towers East. All three are 12 stories tall, but the South building contained the most units.
New documents released by city officials in Surfside, Florida, reveal that in a 2018 field survey, engineering firm Morabito Consultants uncovered significant structural problems with the condo building that partially collapsed. The report highlighted cracks in concrete and noted that failed waterproofing was causing major damage to a concrete structural slab below the pool deck and entrance. NBC’s Kerry Sanders reports for Weekend TODAY from Surfside. YouTube Tips ⓘ
Surfside city officials released documents from engineering firm Morabito Consujltants that identified serious problems with major structural damage with the building and parking garage in 2018. Cracks in structural beams; cracks by the swimming pool; abundant cracking and spalling observed in concrete columns, beams and walls with exposed and deteriorating rebar; failed waterproofing causing major structural damage to a concrete structural slab, and erosion of concrete was reported in 2018. Failed waterproofing was listed with a warning that stated that failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially. As of Saturday, June 26, 2021 there was no confirmation whether the 2018 structural problems were the cause of the June 2021 collapse.
An eyewitness to the south Florida condo collapse described the moment he heard calls for help from the rubble. Neighbor Nicholas Balboa said he saw movement in the rubble and heard a young voice yell “please don’t leave me.” YouTube Tips ⓘ
See also …
WSVN | At least 4 dead, 35 rescued and 159 unaccounted for after partial condo collapse in Surfside
WPTV | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tours Surfside condo collapse damage, calls it ‘really traumatic’
CBS Miami | Condo Collapse: Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Signs Emergency Order
CNN | Partial building collapse near Miami
CARDINAL NEWS | CNN | Partial building collapse near Miami
Architect Analyzes Below
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Architect Kobi Karp joins CBSN to discuss the investigation into what may have caused the Surfside, Florida condominium building to give way. YouTube Tips ⓘ