The death count from a partial condominium building collapse near Miami is up to four as of Friday morning, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
During a Friday morning press conference, she said search and recuse teams had accounted for 120 people who were in the building when it collapsed. However, another 159 remain unaccounted for.
“I want to be very clear about the numbers, they’re very fluid,” Levine Cava said.
Emergency responders have been at the site of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building at 8777 Collins Ave. in Surfside, Fla. since early Thursday, when the building partially collapsed. Throughout the day, rescue teams searched through the building and rubble to find survivors.
According to the Miami Herald, the building was built in 1981 and had 136 units, 55 of which were completely destroyed in the collapse. While a mandatory recertification process was underway for the 40-year-old structure, the process had not yet been completed, reported the outlet.
Levine Cava said FEMA support has been authorized to help the search and rescue efforts in Surfside and that survivors have been provided with shelter, food and grief counseling at a reunification center.
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