Almost 100 people remain unaccounted for Friday morning, a day after a 12-story beachfront condominium building just north of Miami collapsed, claiming the life of at least one person.
A part of the residential building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed with a roar about 1:30 a.m. Thursday. On video footage captured from closeby, the center of the building was revealed to fall first, with a section nearest the ocean tottering and coming down seconds later as an intense dust cloud blanketed the neighborhood.
The Miami-Dade County Mayor's Office informed the Washington Post the death toll had increased to four people. ABC News reported it had gotten to three people. Friday morning calls to fire and police officials were not returned. Fire Rescue staff and others worked through the night Thursday hoping to find survivors.
Could Sea Level Rise, King Tides Contributed to the Collapse of This Building?
Saltwater and brine-soaked air settle into the openings of coastal construction, growing a rusty crust all over the steel skeletons that strengthen oceanfront structures. It diminishes the bonds between metal and concrete bringing about cracks and crumbles in susceptible areas, such as balconies.
But some experts in building wondered if the environmental assault boosted by climate change could have contributed to the catastrophic collapse at Champlain Towers South Condo.
Also Read: Over 50% of US Buildings Are at Risk of Natural Disasters, Endangering Millions of Lives
Investigators Working to Determine What Prompted the Collapse
Authorities have yet to disclose what may have prompted the collapse close to 88th Street and Collins Avenue. Police blocked roads close by, and dozens of ambulances, fire and rescue vehicles, and police cars assembled on the area.
A researcher at Florida International University revealed the building was built on reclaimed wetlands and was noticed to be unstable a year ago. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said roofing work was being done on the condo.
According to the Miami-Dade County Police Department, authorities will investigate the crisis after search and rescue operations are over, CNN reported.
Residential Building was Going Through an Inspection
Constructed in 1981, the building was only 40-year-old. Florida requires all properties and buildings to be inspected every 40 years to be certified again and Miami-Dade County officials were in the process of inspecting the condo before its collapse, town officials said Thursday.
The process has to do with structural and electrical inspections for a report to be filed with the town.
Engineers were showing up to inspect the building, said Oren Cytrynbaum, an attorney who is an owner of two units in the building along with his family and wasn't present when it collapsed, According to Cytrynbaum, there were some repairs done to the roof prior to the fall but nothing else he knew of.
Related Article: 11 Dead as 3-Storey Building Collapsed During Monsoon Flashfloods in India
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