Investigators were working Thursday to determine what caused a 40-year-old South Florida beachside condo building to collapse[1], killing at least one person and injuring 10 others.
Rescuers continued to search for survivors after part of the Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condominium, "pancaked" in the town of Surfside, Florida, shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday, Mayor Charles Burkett said.
About half of the building's more than 130 units were affected, said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and officials fear many more may be dead and trapped under the rubble.
Why the building collapsed is not immediately known. Burkett said the roof was being worked on recently, but he did not think that caused the building to fall.
'I have no hope': Loved ones await news, survivors flee after condo building partially collapses near Miami[2]
The collapse left piles of debris around the building and coated cars two blocks away with dust.
Here's what we know about the building:
The Champlain Towers South was built in 1981
The L-shaped Champlain Towers South is located in the southeast corner of Surfside, and Burkett said the building was not old relative to some other art deco buildings in South Beach built in the 1920s.
"There's no reason for this building to go down like that unless someone literally pulls out the supports from underneath or they get washed out or there's a sinkhole," he said. "... because it just went down."
More: Heartbreaking images capture the Surfside building collapse and rescue efforts[3]
Burkett said he was unsure if the building's 40-year inspection had begun, as required by law.
"Bottom line is that's not an old building, and 40-year inspection or not, that kind of thing should not be happening," he said.
Investigation: Collapsed Miami condo has been sinking into Earth at alarming rate since 1990s, researchers say[4]
Roof work was being done recently
Burkett said roofing work was ongoing at the building. A crane had been at the building, and he said the work would have likely required an inspection and permit.
Burkett did not know how heavy the equipment being used to work on the roof was, but he did not think the weight of it would have caused the collapse. "It's hard to imagine that that could have been the impetus for such a catastrophic collapse," he added.
The building had more than 130 units
Online records show more than 130 units in the building. Some were owned by individuals and other by LLCs.
A few two-bedroom units in the development are listed for sale with asking prices of $600,000 to $700,000, an Internet search shows.
The building's website[5] promotes "incredible oceanfront views or spectacular views of inter-coastal waterway with the City in the Background."
It adds that year-round ocean breezes help keep the temperatures moderate in the summer and winter and that the condos are "located near some of the best shopping Miami has to offer as well as the famous Miami Nightlife."
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Associated Press
Published Updated
References
- ^ Florida beachside condo building to collapse (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ Loved ones await news, survivors flee after condo building partially collapses near Miami (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ Heartbreaking images capture the Surfside building collapse and rescue efforts (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ Investigation: Collapsed Miami condo has been sinking into Earth at alarming rate since 1990s, researchers say (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ building's website (www.champlainsouth.org)
- ^ Sign up (profile.usatoday.com)
from GANNETT Syndication Service https://ift.tt/3gUNfWl
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