Miami police have identified four of the victims of the building collapse

Miami-Dade Police have identified four other victims after the building collapsed in Surfside, as announced by the police service this Saturday evening, through a press release.

The victims were identified as: Antonio Lozano, 83, Gladys Lozano, 79, Manuel LaFont, 54, and Stacie Fang, the same age.

Antonio and Gladys Lozano lived in apartment 903. Lozano’s body was found on Thursday and his wife was found on Friday, police said.

On the other hand, LaFont, whose body was found on Friday, lived in apartment 801, while Fang, lived in apartment 1002 and whose remains were found on Thursday.

The Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava told a press conference on Saturday night that five deaths had been confirmed. The fifth victim has not yet been identified.

“Rescue teams worked tirelessly as they continued their search and rescue efforts,” the press release said. “This unexpected tragedy touched many families, loved ones and our entire community. The Miami-Dade Police Department is committed to honoring and supporting all affected during this difficult and emotional process. ” added.

With the identification of previously recovered bodies, “This means that the missing are now reduced to 156, the confirmed deaths are now a total of five”, He said.

A fire this Saturday complicated the so far unsuccessful search for the missing left by the partial collapse of the building, which had “significant structural damage, ”according to a 2018 report.

“We are facing enormous difficulties with this fire”, Mayor Levine Cava had admitted earlier. The fire, of which the firefighters could not locate the source, broke out at the site of the Champlai towers., twelve floors, collapsed Thursday morning. Smoke spreads through the rubble, making some search areas inaccessible, according to the mayor.

Until now, at least five people have died after the 12-story oceanfront building in Surfside near Miami Beach, collapsed as residents slept inside early Thursday morning.

“We remain hopeful. We continue to look for survivors in the rubble, it is our priority and our teams have not stopped“The work,” said Levine Cava.

Almost a third of the missing are foreigners: nine are Argentines, six Paraguayans – including the sister of the first lady of this country – and at least four Canadians, according to the authorities.

Increasingly frustrated families are growing impatient and fearful that the high number of missing will increase the death toll.

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