The search for almost 100 people missing in a fatal building collapse continues

A beachfront condo building partially collapsed outside of Miami on Thursday, killing at least one person and trapping others in the tower, which resembled a giant broken doll’s house, with one side sheared off. Dozens of survivors were pulled out, and the rescuers desperately searched for more. Much of the beach side of Champlain Towers South was sheared off for unknown reasons and pounded into a pile of concrete and metal more than 9 meters high. At least one person was confirmed dead Thursday, and officials feared the number could skyrocket. “These are very difficult times, and things are getting harder the further we go,” said Freddy Ramirez, Miami-Dade Police Director Night, hoping to find survivors. The crews appeared to be removing a body in a yellow body bag from the rubble. Officials said no cause of the collapse was found. The video of the collapse showed that the center of the building appeared to collapse first, bobbing a section closest to the sea and seconds later when a huge cloud of dust swallowed the neighborhood. About half of the building’s 130 or so units were affected, and rescuers pulled at least 35 people from the wreck in the first few hours after the collapse. Raide Jadallah, an assistant to Miami-Dade’s county fire chief, said listening devices placed on and in the rubble did not pick up voices but detected possible popping noises, giving rescuers hope that some were still alive are. Rescue workers drilled themselves into the wreckage from below and crossed the building’s underground car park. Personal items testified to lives destroyed amid the rubble of the Champlain, built in Surfside, a small suburb northwest of Miami, in 1981. A childrens bunk bed crouched dangerously on the top floor, bent but intact and apparently only inches from falling into the rubble. There was a duvet on the edge of a lower floor. TV. Computers. Chairs. Hours after the collapse, seekers attempted to reach a trapped child whose parents were believed dead. In another instance, rescuers rescued a mother and child, but the woman’s leg had to be amputated to remove it from the rubble, Miami-Dade director of emergency management Frank Rollason told the Miami Herald the wreckage, but it was not clear whether it was the same person from Rollason.Gov. Ron DeSantis, who toured the scene, said television had failed to capture the extent of the events. The rescue teams are “doing everything to save lives. This goes on and they won’t rest, “he said 10 to 12 rescuers simultaneously entered the rubble with dogs and other gear, worked until they got tired of heavy lifting, and then made way for a new team, said Jimmy Patronis, chief Florida Financial Officer, the state fire marshal on the disaster on Facebook, hoping someone will find out the whereabouts of Myriam Caspi Notkin and Arnie Notkin, an elderly couple who lived on the third floor. Arnie Notkin taught physical education at a local elementary school for years, said Smukler, a North Miami beach inspector who is friends with Myriam Notkin’s daughters. “He was such a popular gym teacher from the past,” she said. “Everyone posted, ‘Oh my God, he was my trainer. ‘”Wonder if they’re found alive,” she added. Nicholas Fernandez spent hours after the collapse calling two friends who lived in the building with their young daughter. The family came to the United States to avoid the COVID-19 outbreak in their home country Argentina, said Fernandez from Miami. “The hope is that maybe someone will hear the call. I know there are dogs in it, ”he said. “I know what I say may sound ridiculous, but there is always hope until we hear something else.” A total of 22 South Americans were missing in the collapse – nine from Argentina, six from Paraguay, four from Venezuela and three from Uruguay . according to officials in these countries. Barry Cohen, 63, said he and his wife were sleeping in the building when he first heard the clap of thunder. The couple went to their balcony, then opened the door to the building’s hallway and saw “a pile of rubble and dust and smoke swirling around”. “I couldn’t walk through my door,” Cohen, former vice mayor of Surfside City Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer, told the WPLG that the building’s 40-year recertification process was underway. Salzhauer said the process went without any difficulties. A building inspector was on site on Wednesday. “I want to know why that happened,” said Salzhauer. “That really is the only question. … and can it happen again? Are other of our buildings in the city in danger? ”

SURFSIDE, Florida –

A beachfront condo building partially collapsed outside of Miami on Thursday, killing at least one person and trapping others in the tower, which resembled a giant broken doll’s house, with one side sheared off. Dozens of survivors were pulled out, and rescuers desperately searched for more.

Much of the beach side of Champlain Towers South was sheared off for unknown reasons and formed into a pile of concrete and metal more than 9 meters high.

At least one person was confirmed dead Thursday, and officials feared the number could skyrocket.

“These are very difficult times and things are going to be even more difficult in the future,” said Freddy Ramirez, Miami-Dade police director.

Firefighters and others worked all night hoping to find survivors. Crews appeared to be removing a body from the rubble in a yellow body bag.

Officials said no cause of the collapse was found.

The video of the collapse showed that the center of the building appeared to collapse first, and a section closest to the ocean swayed and came down seconds later when a huge cloud of dust swallowed the neighborhood.

Around half of the approximately 130 units in the building were affected, and rescuers pulled at least 35 people from the wreck in the first few hours after the collapse.

Raide Jadallah, a Miami-Dade County’s assistant fire chief, said listening devices attached to and in the rubble did not pick up voices but detected possible slapping noises, giving rescuers hope that some are still alive. Rescue workers drilled themselves into the wreckage from below and crossed the building’s underground car park.

Personal belongings were evidence of lives shattered amid the rubble of the Champlain, built in Surfside, a small suburb northwest of Miami, in 1981. A childrens bunk bed crouched dangerously on the top floor, bent but intact and apparently only inches from falling into the rubble. There was a duvet on the edge of a lower floor. TV. Computers. Chairs.

Hours after the collapse, seekers attempted to reach a trapped child whose parents were believed dead. In another case, rescuers rescued a mother and child, but the woman’s leg had to be amputated to remove it from the rubble, Miami-Dade director of emergency management Frank Rollason told the Miami Herald.

The video showed firefighters pulling a boy out of the wreck, but it wasn’t clear if it was the same person mentioned by Rollason.

Governor Ron DeSantis, who toured the scene, said the television failed to capture the extent of the events.

Rescue workers are “doing everything in their power to save lives. This continues and they will not rest,” he said.

Teams of 10 to 12 rescuers simultaneously entered the rubble with dogs and other gear, worked until they tired of heavy lifting, and then made room for a new team, said Jimmy Patronis, Florida State’s chief financial officer, the state’s fire marshal .

Fortuna Smukler posted on Facebook about the disaster, hoping someone would find out the whereabouts of Myriam Caspi Notkin and Arnie Notkin, an elderly couple who lived on the third floor.

Arnie Notkin taught physical education at a local elementary school for years, said Smukler, a North Miami Beach commissioner who is friends with Myriam Notkin’s daughters.

“He was such a popular physical education teacher from people’s past,” she said. “Everyone posted, ‘Oh my god, he was my trainer.'”

“It would be a miracle if they were found alive,” she added.

Nicholas Fernandez spent hours calling two friends who lived in the building with their young daughter after the collapse. The family came to the United States to avoid the COVID-19 outbreak in their home country Argentina, said Fernandez from Miami.

“The hope is that maybe someone will hear the call. I know there are dogs in it, ”he said. “I know what I say may sound ridiculous, but there is always hope until we hear something else.”

A total of 22 South Americans were missing in the collapse – nine from Argentina, six from Paraguay, four from Venezuela and three from Uruguay, officials from those countries said.

Barry Cohen, 63, said he and his wife were sleeping in the building when he first heard the clap of thunder. The couple went to their balcony, then opened the door to the building’s hallway and saw “a pile of rubble and dust and smoke swirling around”.

“I couldn’t get out my door,” said Cohen, the former Surfside Vice Mayor.

Surfside City Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer told WPLG that the building’s 40-year recertification process, mandated by the county, was ongoing. Salzhauer said the process went without any difficulties. A building inspector was on site on Wednesday.

“I want to know why that happened,” said Salzhauer. “That really is the only question. … and can it happen again? Are other of our buildings in the city in danger? ”

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