Second day of rescue of victims of the Miami collapse: at least 4 dead and 159 missing

The partial collapse of a 12-story building in Miami on Thursday resulted in at least four dead and 159 missing, according to official information available to date, and caused a huge deployment of first responders to the incident area.

The event happened around 2 a.m. (local time) on Thursday, between the streets 88 Yes Collins Avenue at Surfside, near Miami Beach, in a building that is part of the complex Champlain towers. There, the firefighters have been carrying out an imposing search and rescue operation for more than 24 hours..

Authorities confirmed the deaths of four people, but still they did not detail the possible causes of the collapse.

Police closed nearby streets, and dozens of rescue vehicles and firefighters, ambulances and police flooded the scene. The landslide raised a cloud of dust that swept through the neighborhood and blanketed cars on the street, even two blocks away.

Then, minute-by-minute coverage of the event in Miami local time (GMT-4):

9:15 am: Miami-Dade Police Director, Freddy ramirez, said homicide detectives and forensic pathologists are working to identify the landslide deaths.

9:00 am: The White House has stated that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, I could travel to Miami visit the site of the landslide next week.

8:20 am: Miami-Dade Fire Chief, Ray jadallah, he said that all search effort has shifted to rubble. “We are hopeful, and every time we hear a sound we focus on that area,” he added.

8:15 am: Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the number of missing people rose to 159. He assured that they continued to “work hard” with the support of the federal government to find more people in the rubble. “We are hopeful,” he added.

8:00 am: Authorities have confirmed the deaths of three other people. There are four deaths from the collapse.

2:30 am: Miami-Dale County rescue teams continued to work on tons of debris until Thursday evening and early Friday morning. to find the 99 missing persons.

1:30 am: President Joe Biden approved the declaration of emergency for the state of Florida. The president’s action empowers the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts like this one.

01h00: Former Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Dave Downey explained to CNN how first responders search for survivors.

“Now they are immersed in what we call the search for emptiness. So what they do is systematically scour the rubble pile for any sign of life.“said Downey.

12:30 am: Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said the search for survivors would continue through the night. In addition, he said he was surprised by what happened. “In the United States, buildings don’t fall like that,” he said. ” It’s a disaster.

00:24: Miami Beach State Senator, Jason Pizzo, was at the scene of the collapse, watching the tactical teams work to remove the bodies from the rubble.

00:15: Miami’s basketball, football and baseball sports teams provided meals for workers and families. Miami Dale Mayor Daniella Levine Cava thanked the gesture on behalf of the community.

00:00: Miami Dade County has opened a collection to ask for donations for those affected by the landslide. “Surfside needs our support; please share away, ”tweeted Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

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