The Australian government says despite early fears, no Australians were caught in a Miami apartment building that collapsed on Thursday leaving four people dead and 159 unaccounted for.
"We are not currently aware of any Australians who were in the building at the time of the collapse," a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told the ABC.
However, consular assistance was being provided to two Australians whose non-Australian relatives reside in the building.
"As those family members are citizens of other countries, our embassy in Washington is coordinating consular assistance with the relevant embassies."
Miami resident Joseph Waks, who is originally from Australia, had expressed concern for an elderly couple he believed may have been in the 12-story Champlain Towers South when it suddenly collapsed.
The spokesperson said the Australian embassy is working with the US authorities to identify non-US nationals affected by the collapse.
On Friday (local time), rescue workers continued to scour the debris of the Surfside building after sounds were heard in the rubble.
Hopes rested on how quickly crews using dogs and microphones could complete their grim, yet delicate task.
"Any time that we hear a sound, we concentrate in that area," Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said.
"It could be just steel twisting, it could be debris raining down, but not specifically sounds of tapping or sounds of a human voice."
Buffeted by gusty winds and pelted by intermittent rain showers, two heavy cranes began removing debris from the pile using large claws in the morning, creating a din of crashing glass and metal as they picked up material and dumped it to the side. A smoky haze rose from the site.
Once the machines paused, firefighters wearing protective masks and carrying red buckets climbed atop the pile to remove smaller pieces by hand in hope of finding spots where people might be trapped
In a parking garage, rescuers in knee-deep water used power tools to cut into the building from below.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were doing everything possible to save as many people as they could.
The White House said President Joe Biden, who spoke with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the collapse, was receiving updates from Homeland Security.
Officials said they still did not know exactly how many residents or visitors were in the building when it fell, but they were trying to locate 159 people who were considered unaccounted for and may or may not have been there.
Flowers left in tribute decorated a fence near the tower, and people awaiting news about the search watched from a distance, hands clasped and hugging.
Three more bodies were removed overnight and Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said authorities were working with the medical examiner's office to identify the victims.
Eleven injuries were reported, with four people treated at hospitals.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said rescuers were at "extreme risk" going through the rubble.
"Debris is falling on them as they do their work," she said.
"We have structural engineers on-site to ensure that they will not be injured, but they are proceeding because they are so motivated and they are taking extraordinary risk on the site every day."
ABC/wires
