The number of confirmed deaths after the partial collapse of a building in 12 plants in Surfside, Florida , rose to five this Saturday, while other 1981 they are still missing, local authorities said at night, when dozens of rescuers continued to work through the rubble on the third day after the accident.
“We found another body today and we are still identifying it. We will have to use DNA ”to this end, explained Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at the last press conference of the day. He added that other unidentified human remains were also found among the rubble .
A few hours later, the county police published the identities of four of the fatalities found in the rubble. It’s about Stacie Dawn Fang , about 54 years; Antonio Lozano , from 83; Gladys Lozano , by 79; and Manuel LaFont, by 54.
The mayor reported that the firefighters were able to control a “large” fire inside the rubble, which made rescue work difficult during part of the day. The flames began after a fire hose exploded on one of the lower floors on the north side of the building, uncovering a cloud of white smoke and a strong smell of sulfur.
.
. 
The Mayor ordered an immediate audit of all buildings over 40 years and more than five stories in Miami-Dade County, as well as those built by the same developer who built the Champlain Towers condominium complex. It is unclear how many buildings will be audited, but Levine Cava said the review would take place “within the next days, starting right now. ”
The Champlain Towers condo, over 130 apartments, was built in 1981 over former marshlands and was being subjected these days to a structure review process, as required by the City of Surfside when passing 40 years of construction. There is still no clarity on the causes of the collapse, which affected apartments.
Three years before the crash , an engineer had already warned of imminent danger in a report that emerged from the accident.
According to report, obtained by Noticias Telemundo , consultant Frank Morabito found alarming evidence of “significant structural damage” to the cement floor below the pool deck and “abundant” cracks and collapses of columns, beams and walls of the parking lot under the building, as well as the lack of adequate drainage in the pool deck. These damages date back to the origin of the condominium.
Another investigation by 2018 of Florida International University had found that the building was sinking at a worrying rate since the decade of 1990.
Search and rescue operations entered this Saturday on its third day, diminishing hopes that those among the rubble could be found alive.
The mayor emphasized that family members should not lose hope, while dozens anxiously wait news of their missing loved ones, who may have been in the part of the building that collapsed early Thursday morning.
“Search and rescue remains our top priority, and saving all the lives that we can, ”he said.
Speaking in the same c On a press conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis added that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is on site and is collaborating with state and local officials to continue search efforts and rescue.
“We are working well,” he assured.
But the relatives and friends of the disappeared have expressed their frustration at the fact that only Five bodies have been recovered in more than 72 hours of searching and that there are still no definitive answers about the causes of the collapse.
“ It’s been a long time, ”a tearful woman complained this morning whose daughter of years is counted among the more than 100 missing, during the authorities’ press conference at a Surfside hotel that was established as family reunification center. “I know they are doing everything they can, but it is not enough.”
Erika Benítez, Department spokesperson Miami-Dade Fire Department said Saturday morning that it had been a long time since rescuers had heard sounds of people under the rubble. But he added that the search and rescue team believed it was still possible to find survivors.
Authorities confirmed Saturday night that rescue teams from Mexico and Israel are in the area of the landslide to assist with rescue efforts.
Surfside is an area with a strong presence of the Orthodox Jewish community, and there are located some of the largest synagogues in South Florida. The area, which some call the little Buenos Aires, is also home to a large Argentine-American community.
Among the disappeared , there are citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Israel, Paraguay and Venezuela.
Governor DeSantis declared the state hours after the collapse and after the president, Joe Biden, announced that he was waiting for his order to send federal resources. The emergency includes the search for available housing to house those affected by the collapse.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said city officials are considering the evacuation of the sister towers of the Champlain Towers. . )
The condominium complex is made up of three residential towers. The partial collapse was in the South tower, of 136 units. There all the homes have been evacuated. But the North and East towers continue to house residents. Those wishing to move can do so with the help of FEMA, the mayor said.