“Binx”, the black cat who survived the Miami building collapse and reappeared among the rubble

A small ray of hope lit up one of the families involved in the tragedy of the partial collapse of the Surfside building in Miami Beach today, when her little black cat came out from under the rubble, missing for 15 days.

“Binx, a cat who lived on the ninth floor of the Tours Champlain South, was recently found near the place, and a few hours ago he was reunited with his family “said Danielle Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County, which encompasses the Florida metropolis.

“I am happy that this little miracle can bring a little light (…) in the middle of this terrible tragedy”, added during a press conference during which authorities have increased the death toll to 79.

The animal shelter “The Kitty Campus” wrote on Facebook on Friday that A neighbor in the neighborhood had found a black cat near the rubble of the South Champlain towers and had brought it to his establishment.

Immediately, rescuers realized that the cat looked like Binx, who is said to have lived at 904 Champlain Towers South.

A member of the family Gonzáles -the survivors of the collapse- then approached the refuge where he confirmed the identity of the feline.

Agree with The Miami Herald, Angela and Edgar González lived in the apartment with their daughters Deven and Tayler and their dog Daisy and the cat Binx. Tayler was not in the building when he collapsed, while Angela and Deven were injured. Edgar is still missing.

“Amid the sadness, we waited for good news for the survivors”Maria Gasparini, a friend of the Gonzalez, told local media. “Animals are part of the family and it’s a miracle. I’m shaking (…) It’s Deven’s cat, so I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear that her cat has been found. And closed: “It’s a miracle for the entire Surfside community. “

In the images and videos posted on social networks, we see the little black cat playing and moving cautiously in the cage of the refuge where he awaited reunion with his family.

New death and injury toll

Of the 79 confirmed deaths, 53 have been identified and 61 people who may have been in the building the night it collapsed are still missing.

Mayor Levine Cava noted that Reports from relatives and friends of potential victims continued to be verified, as well as the review of information from the postal service, driver’s license offices and building registers., to be able to determine with certainty who was in the building of 55 apartments when it collapsed in a cloud of dust.

At least four Argentines, four Paraguayans, one Chilean, one Uruguayan, one Venezuelan and one Uruguayan-Venezuelan died in the collapse.

The President of Paraguay, Mario Abdo Benítez, traveled to Miami this Friday after the identification among the dead of his sister-in-law, Sophia López Moreira, her husband, Luis Pettengill, and the youngest of their children. The couple’s two young daughters were still missing.

The remains of the family nanny, Leidy Luna Villalba, 23, recovered on Wednesday, have been identified, announced Paraguayan Foreign Minister Euclides Acevedo.

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