Video captures harrowing moment of Florida building collapse leaving 51 missing
The death toll has risen to three, reported ABC News, but more fatalities are expected as authorities warned the number of missing from the collapsed apartment complex in Florida could increase from the current figure of “at least” 99.
Firefighters rescued 35 people from the Champlain Tower South building that collapsed in the middle of the night in Surfside, a beachside town just 6 miles (9.6 km) north of Miami.
Two were pulled from the rubble, including a young boy, as early hope of finding more survivors faded with each passing hour. Eleven were treated for injuries and four transported to local hospitals for further medical attention.
Meanwhile, a pregnant British woman along with her husband and their one-year-old daughter are thought to be among those still unaccounted for since the collapse.
A state of emergency was declared as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arrived to help search and recovery efforts, and to provide assistance and shelter to the 102 people who have been “accounted for” from the building. The 12-storey apartment building built in 1981 was only 40 years old when it collapsed about 1.30 am local time Thursday morning.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue assistant chief of operations Ray Jadallah said that the sonar sound devices from various areas inside the debris have detected signs that could potentially be from some of the 99 people still missing.
“We did receive sounds, not necessarily people talking, but sounds,” Mr Jadallah said.
“What sounds like people banging, well not people but sounds of a possibility of a banging, short of that we haven’t heard any voices coming from the pile.”
Those with family members who may have been in the building at the time of its collapse are asked to call 305-614-1819. More information here.
