Over 100 Unaccounted For After Miami Condo Collapse

Many are feared dead after a condo building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, near Miami. Several people have been declared dead, and many others have been trapped inside the tower by debris. A wing of the twelve-story community building came crumbling down around 1:30 AM, leaving over one hundred people unaccounted for, and officials believe the death toll could climb sharply in the days to come.

The Surfside condominium “is literally pancaked,” said Surfside Mayor Charlett Burkett.  

Miami Condo Collapse Rescue Efforts

Currently, rescue teams are working in groups of ten to twelve entering the rubble with search and rescue dogs and other emergency rescue equipment. State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis told reporters that firefighters are working in fifteen-minute shifts, rummaging through debris in search of survivors. Due to the nature of the collapse and the resulting instability of the building, rescue teams are forced to clear the wreckage using handheld saws and lots of manual lifting. 

“They are not going to stop until every life that can be saved is saved,” Patronis said.

What caused the Miami Condo Collapse? 

Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the condo’s collapse. Kenneth Direktor, an attorney for the association of residents at the Champlain Towers South condo, told CNN that the Surfside condo had undergone “thorough engineering inspections over the last several months.” The inspections of the Miami Condo were done in preparation for compliance with a forty-year certification. The engineers who had performed the building inspections have been appointed by the City of Surfside to investigate the root cause of the collapse. 

Surfside Mayor Charlett Burkett noted that he was aware of work that was being done on the building’s roof but that he could not see how roof repairs could have impacted the building’s structural integrity in such a manner that would result in a collapse of this magnitude.

What To Do if You or Someone You Know Was Impacted by the Miami Condo Collapse 

Emergency officials are asking people to call 305-614-1819 if they have friends or family who are unaccounted for. 

While the exact cause of the Miami condo collapse remains unknown, there will undoubtedly be many investigations in the weeks to come. The building’s management and the engineers who had been inspecting the Surfside condo will be under scrutiny, and the hundreds of people impacted by this disaster deserve answers. If you have questions or information to share, please don’t hesitate to contact us.