They had been married for 59 years and died together in the Miami apartment building collapse

Gladys and Anthony Lozano they were Cubans living in Miami. They were 79 and 83 years old respectively and had been married for more than half a century, exactly 59 years old. Some time ago, they even celebrated a new birthday with their son Sergio. But the collapse of the Champlain Tours condo found them asleep in apartment 903. Their bodies were among the first to be identified by local authorities. As of now, 9 casualties have already been officially reported, as confirmed by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County.

Sergio Lozano confirmed to the Miami Herald newspaper that his parents died in their sleep. A few hours earlier, he had dined in the apartment which had ended up in a pile of rubble. Paradoxically, the young man lived in a tower next to the one that had been damaged and from there he could see his parents’ apartment.

In fact, Sergio Lozano and his wife were in bed when they heard the great sound of the landslide. Lozano said he thought it was a storm or a tornado. “My wife was walking behind me because she was going to help me move the furniture,” Sergio said.

It was then that he leaned over his balcony and turned to his wife. “I told him, ‘The building is not there.’ And she screamed, “What do you mean? ‘My parents’ apartment isn’t there, it’s gone!’, And I ran down the stairs, ”Sergio told Local10.

Sergio said his parents celebrated their 59th birthday on July 21 and had known each other for over 60 years. The couple had recently joked that neither wanted the other to die so they weren’t without the other.

Married for 59 years, Brian Lozano, the couple’s grandson, said that they were always arguing over who would die first, neither of them wanted to be left alone.

“It’s tragic, but it’s oddly disturbing that I have peace in the knowledge that they would constantly play at arguing over who died first,” Brian Lozano told ABC News. “But in the end… they both got what they both wanted. Each other.”

“They were both strong donors to nonprofits, especially cancer, because my grandmother lost her mother to the disease,” continued Brian Lozano, the grandson of the deceased couple. . “Always caring for someone in need or just to make someone smile. Their souls were really beautiful and now they are blessed.”

“They were very beautiful people. May they rest in peace,” he concluded.

What do we know about the collapse

The Champlain Tower complex had 12 floors and around 130 apartments, 55 of which collapsed early Thursday morning. Used as permanent residences or lodgings for travelers, they were valued, on average, at around $ 700,000.

The resort was built in 1981. In Florida every 40 years all buildings must be inspected. “Work was underway to meet the 40-year standard. We have had a strict building code since Hurricane Andrew for updates and improvements, ”said Miami-Dade County Inspector Sally Heyman, quoted by the BBC Network.

Peter Dyga, president and CEO of the Florida East Coast Association of Builders and Contractors, told CBS Local 10 News that it is likely that behind what happened is a conjunction of “multiple factors. “and that” it will take years of research and learning “to determine what happened.” It just doesn’t happen without the help of several things that come together to make it a tragedy, “a- he estimated.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Mexican rescuers were working tirelessly with their American colleagues to find survivors of this disaster. The search is carried out relentlessly day and night, with two large cranes carefully removing debris as rescuers patrol the ruins of the collapsed building in Surfside, near Miami Beach with trained dogs.

“Progress is being made. We have many rescue teams in place,” Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told ABC today, noting that a Mexican group was already operational. “We are not short of resources, we are short of luck. We need more luck”he explained.