Six days of searching, twelve dead, 149 people still missing. And increasingly pressing questions about the causes of the deadly collapse of an apartment building in Surfside, Florida, where US President Joe Biden is expected tomorrow, Thursday.
Accompanied by his wife Jill Biden, the head of state intends to thank the search and rescue teams “who are working tirelessly” and “to meet with the families who were forced to suffer this horrific tragedy,” his spokeswoman explained. Jen Psaki.
At least 12 people have been rescued from the rubble of the building and another 149 are still missing, Miami-Date Mayor Daniela Levine Cava said last night.
The 12-storey building collapsed last Thursday around 01:20. It was one of the worst such disasters in US history.
“It was like an earthquake,” Janet Aguero, 46, told AFP that she lived on the 11th floor of the complex, which stands on the side facing the street and was able to get out.
The wait is endless in this small Florida town, not far from Miami, where the news continues to be given with the dropper.
Two large cranes are used to remove debris very slowly and carefully. Firefighters working day and night in the heat and humidity are using advanced imaging and audio technology to locate air pockets where they could be victims in life, although hopes are fading with each passing hour and day.
More than 1,300 tonnes of concrete have been excavated and investigated, according to authorities.
Among the missing are dozens of citizens of Latin American countries (Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay …).
Authorities promised a “rapid” investigation into the causes of the disaster.
Could it have been avoided disappearing into a cloud of dust on Thursday? The publication on Tuesday of a letter written in April by the chairman of the co-owners’ assembly, expressing concern about the condition of the property, intensifies the public debate.
The building had “accelerated” damage, he warned in the letter, the contents of which were revealed by several American media. It took work at an estimated cost of $ 15 million to repair the apartment building, he estimated.
An engineering report that had already been drafted in 2018 spoke of “major structural damage” and “cracks” in the basement of the building, according to documents released by the municipality of Surfside.
The investigation into the exact causes of the tragedy will take months.
