One dead, nearly 100 missing after tower collapse in Florida

US authorities have yet to announce 99 people after the dramatic collapse of an apartment building near Miami overnight, sparking fears of serious injuries as rescue services engage in a race against time to locate the missing.

At least one person died so far in this unexplained disaster.

102 people have been located […] “I’m safe,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levine Cava said at a news conference.

“We are still missing news of at least 99 people,” he added, adding that the US Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was called to the rescue.

“We are preparing for bad news given the devastation,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned. President Joe Biden said the federal state stands ready to assist with emergency relief and resettlement operations for survivors.

Seeing “the traces of people who went about their daily lives and that everything, everything evaporated in an instant, is very stressful,” Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the select press, who was brought back to the scene.

We are preparing for bad news given the devastation.

One person has died, according to Charles Burkett, mayor of Surfside, where the Champlain Towers South complex is located in Florida in the southeastern United States.

The twelve floors collapsed at around 1:30, according to eyewitnesses, releasing a large cloud of dust over several blocks.

“I was in a deep sleep, and I felt a great breakdown, which is what affected me Collide and lightning; But it went on, for 15-20 minutes I say, “Barry Cohen, 63, a resident of the building testified, and he collapsed.

Among the missing are several Latin American nationals, including nine Argentines, three Uruguayans and six Paraguayans. Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Euclid Acevedo, the sister of Paraguay’s first lady, Silvana López Moreira, and her family, confirmed the concern.

Nicholas Fernandez, an Argentine who lives in Miami, told AFP his family’s friends were staying at the compound I had not heard of. I don’t know if they’re alive or… ”, the 29-year-old stammered.

He explained that the reasons for the collapse of this residential complex are still “unknown” this Thursday morning Miami Herald Daniela Levine Cava.

Several officials said work is to raise it to the required level, especially on the roof of the building, but they believe they are unlikely to be the cause of the collapse.

Watch the video