Rescue efforts at the site of a partially collapsed Miami-area condo tower were halted Thursday out of concern over the stability of the remaining structure, officials said.
Search crews that had been atop the pile of rubble for the last week stopped work shortly after 2 a.m., Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference.
The stoppage came on the same day that crews and relatives of those still missing were scheduled to meet with President Biden in a visit that many hoped would provide some measure of comfort to a devastated community.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden planned to thank first responders and search-and-rescue teams. They also planned to meet with the families of victims, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
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The president’s visit comes a week after Champlain Towers South, a 12-story beachfront condominium building in Surfside, suddenly came crashing down, pancaking into rubble.
Searchers going through the ruins found the remains of six people Wednesday, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 18. The number of residents unaccounted for stands at 145.
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A memorial in Surfside, Fla., has become a place to pay tribute to those who lived in the condominium that, without warning, fell in the middle of the night.
Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said he hoped Biden’s visit would be a morale booster for the entire community.
“We’ve had several challenges,” he said, “from weather, sorrow, pain. And I think that the president coming will bring some unity here for our community, support, like our governor, our mayor, all of us together.”
During a meeting with families Wednesday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raide Jadallah said officials were concerned about the stability of the still-standing portion of the building.
“The columns on the east side of the building are kind of of concern — not compromised but just right now of concern,” Jadallah said. “Hypothetically, worst-case scenario: If these columns are truly really bad, we are worried they could collapse right back into the parking garage.”
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Some residents in the twin tower of the collapsed Florida condo building are too afraid to stay, but others say the sister structure is in good shape.
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Psaki said the president and first lady also wanted to make sure that state and local officials had the resources and support they needed under an emergency declaration approved by Biden for Miami-Dade. She emphasized Wednesday that the White House was being careful to coordinate with officials on the ground to ensure that Biden’s visit didn’t do anything to “pull away” from the ongoing search-and-rescue effort.
State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis said he hoped to emphasize to Biden that there was a need for mental health resources to treat rescue workers for post-traumatic stress disorder.
“These guys are so blindly focused on the mission of saving lives,” Patronis said, “and unfortunately, they see things they can’t unsee.
“We want to make sure that, when they ultimately do go home, that we’re giving them the strength … to be able to get back to work without fear of nightmares and challenges.”
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Since the tragedy, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, a Democrat, have projected a united and cooperative front as they respond to the crisis.
Previously, they had sometimes sparred over how best to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, with clashes over wearing masks and other measures to control the pandemic. But no signs of partisanship have been evident in Surfside.
DeSantis has spoken appreciatively of the aid coming from Washington, even commending the Biden administration for “stepping up to the plate.”
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“We really appreciate having the support of the president,” DeSantis said at a Friday news conference in Surfside — although, hours before, he had blasted Biden’s border policies at a news conference in the state’s Panhandle.
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Owners in collapsed Florida condo tower faced at least $9 million in planned repairs
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Owners in collapsed Florida condo tower faced at least $9 million in planned repairs
Owners of units in the collapsed Florida condo tower were days away from starting to pay for more than $9 million in repairs recommended in 2018.
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DeSantis, who is up for reelection next year, is said to be exploring a run for the presidency in 2024.
Among the remains found Wednesday were those of a mother and her two daughters, ages 4 and 10, a loss that Cava called “too great to bear.”
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Miami-Dade police identified the children as 10-year-old Lucia Guara and 4-year-old Emma Guara, and their mother as 42-year-old Anaely Rodriguez. The remains of their father, Marcus Guara, 52, were pulled from the rubble Saturday and identified Monday.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation.