“I can’t put it into words. It looks like a bomb hit,” said an eyewitness. Another described the night’s situation: “The building was shaking and when I looked outside I couldn’t see anything. I thought it was a storm. But when the dust settled, two-thirds of the house was gone.”
So far, only one fatality has been confirmed, but even hours after the collapse, the whereabouts of 99 other possible residents are not known. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is therefore expecting “bad news”. The number of injured was given as nine. Another 35 people were freed from the house with more than 130 residential units, it said.
The search for other possible victims continues – also with the help of sniffer dogs. The police asked onlookers not to hinder the rescue work. It is unclear how many people were in the building during the overnight collapse.
cause unclear
The affected complex in Surfside near Miami Beach is known as the Champlain Towers. It was built in the 1980s.
For orientation: The accident happened in this privileged location with a sea view
Mayor Charles Burkett reported that a crane had been used during construction work on the home. He was stunned to witness such a tragedy in his town. “It’s less likely than lightning. It just doesn’t happen. You don’t see buildings collapsing in America,” Burkett said.
wa/sth (dpa, afp)