American History: June 24, 2021–Building that collapsed: 11 dead, 150 still missing

SURFSIDE, Florida. – As rescuers sifted through the debris of a collapsed Florida condo building Monday in desperate hope of finding survivors, questions about what brought the structure down intensified.
a group of people sitting and standing in front of a building: Search and Rescue crews continue to search for signs of life in the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Florida Saturday June 26, 2021.Search and Rescue crews continue to search for signs of life in the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside.The White House said President Joe Biden would be willing to commit federal resources to an investigation into the cause of the collapse.Less than three years ago, an engineer had warned of major structural problems at the Surfside high-rise, but a month later a town building official told board members the structure was in “very good shape,” according to minutes of that meeting released Monday.The Surfside official, Rosendo “Ross” Prieto was quoted as making those comments at a meeting of the condo board on Nov. 15, 2018. That October, the engineering firm Morabito Consultants issued a report describing key flaws in the building.The discussion with Prieto, who no longer works at Surfside and could not be reached for comment Monday, came as Champlain Towers was beginning to explore what work was needed under city and county ordinances for the building to meet a 40-year recertification that was to arrive in 2021.Town officials and fire personnel reasserted in a news conference early Monday that first responders were still in a search-and-rescue operation.

“They’re out there with every resource that they need to ensure that they can search this area,” Levine Cava said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Ray Jadallah said crews had identified additional voids in the rubble where residents could be located, but there was no evidence anyone was inside. Crews also were listening to sounds coming from the rubble, but none could be identified as from people, he said.

Jadallah said the decision to transition from search and rescue to recovery cannot be made until crews are confident no one could be alive in any part of the rubble.

“It’s not based on one little section because it was completely destroyed. We have to look at the entire pile,” he said. “We’re just not there yet.”

A section of the Champlain Towers South, built in 1981 just north of Miami Beach, collapsed Thursday. Video shows the center of the wing crumpling before the other end falls.

Here’s what we know Monday, June 28, 2021

President Biden supports investigation

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden thinks an investigation should be launched into the Champlain Towers South collapse.

During a press briefing Monday, Psaki was asked whether Biden believed the federal government had a role to play in examining infrastructure failures that led to the tragedy.

“He does believe that there should be an investigation,” Psaki replied. “Certainly, we want to play any constructive role we can play with federal resources in getting to the bottom of it and preventing it from happening in the future.”

She said agents from federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, were deployed to Florida to help with these efforts.

Federal agency to conduct extensive probe

The investigation into what caused the Champlain Towers South collapse is already underway, officials said at a Monday afternoon news conference.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said he spoke with representatives of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, who will be conducting an investigation into the causes of the collapse. The NIST was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and has investigated that incident and others such as the 2003 Rhode Island nightclub fire, the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017.

“They have never done just a straight building collapse that wasn’t involved with either hazards or acts of terrorism,” DeSantis said. “This is going to be something that is important and it is something that is going to be very thorough. … It is going to take a long time. That is the kind of horizon they work on.”

DeSantis said more immediate investigations conducted by Miami-Dade County and the town of Surfside could shed some light more quickly and alluded to the possibility of state regulatory changes if necessary following those assessments.

Surfside Mayor describes child praying at site

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett on Monday described an interaction he had with a child awaiting news on one of her parents who was inside the building at the time of the collapse.

Burkett said he had seen the 11- or 12-year-old girl at the site before with one of her parents but came across her again Sunday night by herself.

“What she was telling me … she was reading a Jewish prayer to herself, sitting at the site by where one of her parents presumably is. And that really brought it home to me. She wasn’t crying. She was just lost,” he said.

At least 35 Jewish people are among the missing, including some with Israeli citizenship, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, consul general of Israel in Miami, said.

Israeli search and rescue crews were also at the site over the weekend. DeSantis said the Israeli officials who toured the site said the Miami fire crews were following the same protocols the Israeli team would have.

Family members of missing on tour of collapse site

About 100 family members toured the site, which has experienced electrical fires and flooding that have slowed the recovery. Relatives continued their visits on Monday, watching the rescue effort from outside a neighboring building.

Uncertainty about the fate of loved ones drives fear and frustration, and disaster experts say that’s one reason why body identification becomes such a priority. Authorities have been testing the DNA of survivors and family members, assembling a database they can then use to more quickly identify remains. Samples from close relatives are the fastest and easiest to match, experts said.

“The time that it takes is just so painful, and that’s why this matters,” said Julie French, a former DNA scientist with the Michigan state police who now works for the rapid DNA testing company ANDE. “This brings closure to the families that are grieving, as fast as possible.”

During the family tour Sunday, one rescue worker fell 25 feet down the mound of rubble, Jadallah said, underscoring the danger crews are facing.

“We’re talking about pulverized concrete. We’re talking about steel. Every time there is an action, there’s a reaction,” he said. “We’re digging through rubbles of concrete the size of basketballs, the size of baseballs.”

Inpection reports detail ‘major structural damage’ over garage, at least $9M in repairs

Less than three years before the collapse, engineers noted design flaws and failing waterproofing that could lead to “exponential damage,” according to documents released late Friday.

A letter to the condominium association’s treasurer on Oct. 8, 2018, included pages of recommended repairs. One warned of failed waterproofing causing “major structural damage” on a concrete slab over a garage and said, “Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete damage to expand exponentially.”

The author warned that the design was faulty, that replacement would be complicated, and that it was a “systemic issue.”

The documents also indicate that repairs were estimated to reach at least $9 million.

Emails released by Surfside officials also indicated the then-vice president of the condominium association sent the report, which included information about the slab and the damaged concrete, to a town building official as early as Nov. 13, 2018.

The problems outlined in that report could indicate there were other unseen problems, said Gregg Schlesinger, a Fort Lauderdale general contractor and attorney who has handled lawsuits based on construction defects.

“It looks like (inspectors) may not have been able to examine structural elements in other parts of the building,” Schlesinger said. “There were probably similar water problems elsewhere.”

However, more than a dozen experts did not reach a consensus on what caused the collapse. Some pointed to sea level rise and the corrosive effect of saltwater brought with encroaching tides. Others wondered about the stability of the ground beneath or matters such as shoddy construction or lax oversight.

Names of victims released

Among those killed in the disaster were Antonio Lozano, 83, and Gladys Lozano, 79, a married couple about to celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary. The couple, both Cuban emigres, had dinner with their son, Sergio Lozano, a few hours before the collapse, he told Miami’s WPLG-TV. If there’s any solace in their deaths, he said, it’s in knowing the two “went together and went quickly.”

Other who were identified are residents Manuel LaFont, 54; Stacie Fang, 54; Leon Oliwkowicz, 80, and his wife, Cristina Beatriz de Oliwkowicz, 74; and Luis Bermudez, 26, and his mother, Ana Ortiz, 46.

Fang’s teenage son, Handler, was rescued by a nearby resident, Nicholas Balboa, who was walking his dog near the buildings and heard his screams.

Among those missing many South Americans and members of Surfside’s Jewish community. JetBlue said Sunday that one of its flight attendants was among the missing. A doctor, teacher and yoga instructor were also unaccounted for.

Residents in Champlain Towers North wonder if building is safe

Just north of Champlain Towers South sits a nearly identical condo building, in which residents have been asking if their homes are safe, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said.

The building did not appear to be damaged when the building to the south collapsed, but Burkett said there would be resources available to residents who want to evacuate.

 

 

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosokeonhacaiketquabongdalichthidau7m.newskqbdtysokeobongdabongdalufutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbsport.fitonbet88.oooi9bet.bizhi88.ooookvip.atf8bet.atfb88.cashvn88.cashshbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩa开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育亚新体育亚新体育亚新体育爱游戏爱游戏爱游戏华体会华体会华体会IM体育IM体育沙巴体育沙巴体育PM体育PM体育AG尊龙AG尊龙AG尊龙AG百家乐AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人<AG真人<皇冠体育皇冠体育PG电子PG电子万博体育万博体育KOK体育KOK体育欧宝体育江南体育江南体育江南体育半岛体育半岛体育半岛体育凯发娱乐凯发娱乐杏彩体育杏彩体育杏彩体育FB体育PM真人PM真人<米乐娱乐米乐娱乐天博体育天博体育开元棋牌开元棋牌j9九游会j9九游会开云体育AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88