A fire inside the mountain of rubble of the building that collapsed on Thursday in Miami added difficulty to the complex rescue process.
The authorities this Saturday increased the number of four to five deceased , and there are still 15 6 missing .
“Our rescue teams found another body in the rubble,” said this Saturday the mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava , who added that other “human remains” have been found.
The slow count is provoking the despair of the relatives, anguished to know the whereabouts of their loved ones.
At least 18 Latin Americans are among the missing. In the first hours the firefighters rescued 18 people.
So far, the only identified person of the five deceased is Stacie Fang , mother of a young man rescued alive shortly after the accident.
With every minute that passes, hopes of finding survivors fades. It is feared that the death toll of five will increase significantly.
“We are facing incredible difficulties with this fire,” Levine Cava said this Saturday morning.
The mayor explained that a trench was dug through the rubble to control a fire located “very deep” under the remains of the building of 12 plants that collapsed early Thursday morning in the town from Surfside, by the sea.
In the afternoon, Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky , said they had finally been able to control the fire.
The rain in recent days has also made the whole process difficult.
The complex has more than 130 apartments, 73 of which were busy. And it is estimated that 55 collapsed.
- “The building that collapsed in Miami had been sinking decades ago, but that alone does not explain the collapse. ”
The teams used infrared, sonar and video technology to detect where the fire was coming from. The smoke generated has been the main obstacle.
Heavy machinery is also being used to move the debris, as well as dogs specialized in finding people.
Levine Cava pointed out that rescuers are at “extreme risk” when moving through the rubble.
That fire under the concrete mountain, metal and other materials has created smoke and air quality problems, increasing the difficulty that a rescue of this type already has.
“The stench is very strong,” he said from the place of the events this Saturday morning the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis .
“As we move debris the smoke increases. We have not yet found any sign of life, “admitted this Saturday Cominsky, the Miami-Dade fire chief, adding that rescuers will continue to evaluate options.
“It is a very difficult situation and we continue to make adjustments where we need to hopefully find someone alive.”
“The debris is falling on them as they work ”, Highlighted the mayor this Friday about the work of rescuers.
“We have expert structural engineers on site to ensure that no one is injured, but they continue with their work because they are motivated and are taking an extraordinary risk ”, insisted Levine Cava.
“We still have hope. We will continue searching. We are looking for people alive, that is our priority and our teams have not stopped, “said the mayor this Saturday visibly saddened without being able to report yet on the existence of survivors.
In a nearby street there has been created a memorial with candles, flowers and messages of support, as well as dozens of photographs of the disappeared.
“I want answers”
Far from the area of the collapse, the frustration of the relatives grows.
“Not enough is being done,” Mike Salberg, who had just arrived in Miami from New York after the accident. Five relatives, including his parents, are among the missing. “I want answers,” he claimed.
“It’s not enough. It is impossible that in four days they have not found anyone, “said a family member visibly annoyed in a meeting with authorities according to a video published by CNN.
“I know they are doing everything they can, but they made us a promise that they are not keeping, that they cannot keep,” adds the woman, whose daughter is between the disappeared.
Despite the fact that many hours have passed since the collapse of Thursday morning, the authorities believe that hope should not be lost.
“Our experience tells us that at least during the first 72 hours there is a high probability of finding people alive ”, said Danny Cardeso , from the Miami-Dade Fire Department, to CBS News.
Teams of engineers and rescue specialists from Israel and Mexico will arrive in Miami to help with the work.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said the obstacle is not resources. “We have a luck problem. We need a little more luck ”.
Now you can receive notifications from BBC Mundo. Download our app and activate them so as not to miss our best content.